Once the crumb of a loaf firms, it can soak up tomato juices in a cool salad, give body to a warm bowl or become a piece of crisp toast.
In the cooking chapter of In Toscane, Frances Mayes describes how Tuscan cooks put leftover bread to work. She names panzanella, pappa al pomodoro and ribollita. Her pages on panzanella and pappa make an especially useful pair. In the salad, the bread softens enough to mingle with the vegetables. In the soup, it gives the bowl much of its consistency.
The two dishes suggest a way to look at the end of a loaf. Feel the crumb and decide where you want it to end up.
Start with the loaf you have
Pane Toscano DOP is a protected Tuscan bread made with natural leavening and an unsalted dough. Its mild flavour makes sense beside well-seasoned dishes, and its crumb takes up juices and oil on the plate. Visit Tuscany’s guide to Pane Toscano DOP
At home, a plain country loaf is a good starting point. A firm piece that still tears into manageable bites gives you options for salad. A slice you can cut neatly is convenient for toast. A smaller end can go into a dish where the bread will soften all the way through.
Taste a small piece on its own. A loaf with a pronounced sour flavour or a salty crust will bring that flavour to the meal. Keep it in mind when you choose a dressing or season the rest of the bowl.
Panzanella gives bread a place in a cool salad
In the panzanella Mayes describes, firm bread is moistened and the excess water squeezed away. Visit Tuscany also describes soaked bread with ripe tomatoes and basil. The bread carries the flavour of the salad in each bite. Visit Tuscany’s Florence food guide
Before using the whole piece of bread, try a small piece on a saucer. Moisten it and press it with a fork. You’re looking for a crumb that softens through and can still be lifted from the plate. If it feels pasty straight away, see whether a firmer piece of the loaf suits the salad better.
Ripe tomatoes contribute both flavour and liquid. Taste a spoonful with the bread before deciding how much dressing the salad needs. A crisp vegetable can add a second texture alongside the soft crumb. A little vinegar can bring brightness when the tomatoes taste particularly sweet.
Pappa al pomodoro gives tomato soup body
Pappa al pomodoro is a thick Tuscan soup of tomatoes and bread. The bread softens in the cooking liquid and helps make the bowl spoonable. Mayes’s version illustrates how a slice can become part of the soup itself.
If you want to explore that texture, choose a reliable pappa recipe and pay attention to what your bread does as it cooks. Loaves vary in how quickly their crumb softens. Lift a spoonful and look at whether the tomato and bread sit together. A firm crust may still give you a chewy piece when the crumb has softened.
Mutti organic peeled tomatoes, packed in tomato juice, are a cupboard option for a cooked tomato base. Taste the tomato and bread together before adding seasoning, especially if you’re using stock.
Use the remaining piece where its texture fits
Mayes also mentions ribollita, a Tuscan bread soup that brings beans and greens into the bowl. If you have a vegetable and bean soup you already make, serving it over a piece of plain toast offers a simple way to explore how bread changes the meal. The toast will soften where it meets the broth, while the exposed edge can keep some crunch.
A loaf end can make a topping for a dish you already planned. Tear a firm piece into rough bits and toast them for a crisp finish over cooked greens or roasted vegetables. Break particularly firm crust into smaller pieces and add the crumbs as you serve.
Finish where you can taste the oil
Visit Tuscany describes pappa finished with extra virgin olive oil and basil. A little Bertolli organic extra virgin olive oil also works on plain toast, where you can taste the oil on its own. Try it there before deciding how much you want on the soup.
From the Pantry Bookshelf. Frances Mayes with Edward Mayes, In Toscane, Dutch edition, Uitgeverij Prometheus, 2000, “La Cucina,” pp. 183, 190 and 191.