Bread is one of the most variable of Italian foods: In different
areas you'll find different flours or combinations of flours, some
poeple use salt and others do not, some shape their breads into
loaves, whereas others prefer rounds, wheels, or even crosses, some
brush their bread with oil, some dry it... And that's just a beginning.
However, there are some breads you will find everywhere.
Bruschetta
Being rubbed with garlic and drizzled with oil is one of the nicest
things that can happen to sliced bread. Ideal for barbecues too!
La Focaccia Ligure
Focaccia is a flat, dimpled bread sprinkled with olive oil and salt,
and though the Ligurians take credit for inventing it, the rest of
Italy has happily adopted it.
La Piadina Romagnola
Romagna's flatbread is tasty to bite into, wonderful when spread with
cheese, an excellent foil for cold cuts, and (when folded) perfect
for containing all sorts of things, for example grilled sausages and
onions. In other words, it's an excellent cookout bread. And it's easy to make!
Pizza
Arguably the national dish, and certainly the best known abroad.
Making the dough, topping suggestions, and links to many recipes.
Grissini
Though you will find packets of commercially prepared grissini in
almost every Italian restaurant, true grissini are a Piemontese
specialty, bread sticks a yard long and as thick as a finger.