🇮🇹 Italian · Bread
🫓 Pane Carasau
Pane Carasau
Sardinia's ancient paper-thin flatbread, rolled out and baked twice until it puffs into a hollow dome, then dried until crisp and shatteringly thin — traditionally kept for months.
Once carried by Sardinian shepherds on long journeys due to its remarkably long shelf life, pane carasau's name means 'toasted bread,' referring to the second, drying bake that gives it its signature crackling crispness and near-indefinite storage.
Ingredients
Equipment: Rolling pin, Baking stone or sheet, Sharp knife
- 500 g (4 cups) durum wheat semolina flour
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) warm water
- 10 g (1¾ tsp) salt
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine the semolina flour and salt, then add the yeast mixture, kneading into a smooth, firm dough.
- Let rise, covered, for about 1 hour until doubled.
- Divide into small portions and roll each out as thin as possible into a round, ideally under 2mm thick.
- Preheat the oven with a baking stone or sheet to its highest setting.
- Bake each round for 3–4 minutes until it puffs up into a hollow dome, similar to pita bread.
- Remove from the oven and, while still warm, carefully split the puffed round into two thin sheets using a sharp knife.
- Return the split sheets to the oven and bake again for a few minutes until they dry out and turn crisp and lightly golden.
- Let cool completely — the bread will continue crisping as it cools, becoming brittle and shatteringly thin.
Chef Tips
- Roll the dough genuinely as thin as possible — this is essential for achieving the proper puff and eventual crispness.
- Split the puffed bread while it's still warm and pliable, which makes the process much easier.
- A very hot oven and preheated stone or sheet help the dough puff dramatically, which is necessary for splitting it neatly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rolling the dough too thick, which prevents it from puffing properly and makes splitting difficult.
- Waiting too long to split the bread after the first bake, when it has cooled and become harder to separate cleanly.
- Underbaking the second round, leaving the bread chewy rather than achieving its signature shattering crispness.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A naturally vegan bread made from simple, wholesome ingredients.
Cultural Note
Pane carasau has ancient roots in Sardinian shepherding culture, prized historically for its ability to stay edible for months, making it ideal for shepherds spending long stretches away from home.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several months.
Reheating: Not applicable; this bread is meant to be eaten crisp, not softened.
Serve with: Pecorino sardo cheese, Olive oil and salt, as a simple snack (pane guttiau)