Panzanella {Tuscan Bread & Tomato Salad}

Panzanella salad also known as bread and tomato salad is one of the iconic recipes from Tuscany that’s popular all around central Italy, from Florence to Rome.

In its pure form it’s made  with only 3 main ingredients: stale bread, tomatoes and onions and seasoned with vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and salt.

It’s one of the traditional recipes that represent Tuscany but also poor mans kitchen like no other.

You’ll love how quickly and easy you can prepare Panzanella salad without ever turning on your stove or oven.

Hearty and fresh combo of bread and tomatoes is perfect for hot summer days.

Since it’s meatless, eggless and made without cheese it’s perfect for get togethers when you have friends who are vegan. 

Just like many Italian things, there is no unique, codified recipe. Every area, every village, even every family has its own version. Each has its preferred (secret) ingredient.

Passed down from grandma, of course. 

Panzanella Salad – How It All Began

Very popular in all central Italy, panzanella salad is originally from Tuscany. Its origins are very ancient. 

It is a peasant dish, created based of the need to not waste bread, very precious even if it was stale. 

The seasonal veggies included were those available in the home garden or in the fields. 

It’s interesting that the first version of Panzanella didn’t include any tomatoes, since they arrived in Italy only during the Eighteenth century (imported from America).

Until then, panzanella salad consisted mainly of bread, onions, cucumbers, purslane, rocket and wild herbs.

But it tasted so good that in 1500 we find no less than a real ode to Panzanella, written by Bronzino, painter at the Medici court.

He said that this dish is so delicious that it “wins every other pleasure of life”.

What does Panzanella Mean?

The etymology of the name is uncertain. It probably derives from the union of the words pane (bread) and zanella. Zanella can mean bowl where it was prepared or trench (since the men in the fields used to eat the panzanella sitting near the rainwater drainage ditches). 

Others are more inclines to think that Panzanella would be the diminutive of panzana, a word which means both mush and lie. 

Probably it refers to the fact that often, while eating, people gossip and sometimes tend to exaggerate telling tall tales.

Panzanella Salad Ingredients & Substitutes

• Bread – the traditional bread is a typical to Tuscany unsalted bread – Pane Toscano or Pane Sciocco which means unsalted.
  
  The word scioocco also means silly. 
  
  Since it’s not so easy to find outside elsewhere, here are a few options to consider:
  – rustic/ country loaf left to dry in a breadbasket for at least 3 days.
  – friselle bread– twice baked snack bread from Apuglia coming from the South might seem a rather unconventional choice for Panzanella. But give it a try and you won’t regret.
  The best part is that it can be used right away since it’s naturally dry!
  Dip it quickly in water and let rest for 10-15 minutes before crumbling with your hands.
  Its rather low hydration and a perfect mix of white and semolina flour make it perfect for bread and tomato salad.
  It’s super easy to make at home and you can practically make Panzanella on demand without ever waiting for bread to go stale
  – ciabatta bread – last and least option because its signature airy and bubbly crumb that it’s famous for looses its “character”. Having said that ciabatta is still quite possible type of bread to use to make Panzanella.
  
  AVOID any kinds of toast bread and certainly avoid fresh bread.
  
  The bread must be at least 3 days old, even if some Tuscans insist it should be 1 week old.
  
• Tomatoes – they have to be red and ripe yet firm. The best options are vine, heirloom or ribbed tomatoes. Make Panzanella your own by using a mix of red and yellow cherry/ grape tomatoes.
• Onion – the most used onion for Panzanella salad is the purple slightly elongated Tropea onion. It is rather sweet and less pungent compared to other varieties. A close substitute would be a delicate tasting red onion. 
• Basil – fresh basil is the only way to go.
• Oil – use high quality extra virgin olive oil. And be generous. 
• Vinegar – white wine vinegar is the most classic choice, but red wine vinegar is also not uncommon.
  Some people use apple cider vinegar and I like those people.

Possible Add-Ons

The recipe you’ll find below is the classic recipe for Panzanella salad. And to me, it’s perfect this way. But here are few ideas of little extras that some Tuscans like to add to the classic Panzanella.

Most frequently used: 

• Olives
• Anchovies
• Capers
• Canned beans
• Celery
• Sweet pepper (red, yellow)

Less frequently used:

• Garlic
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Mozzarella
• Canned Tuna

Be careful to not exaggerate with extras. Use 1 to 3 add-ons at most in order to preserve and enjoy the pure taste of this extraordinary salad.

Possible Variations

• Bread Soaking Technique: The most traditional way from the old days is to soak bread in water with added vinegar. After that the bread should be squeezed almost dry and crumbled with your fingers.
  And you can try that too. However I find that this technique is only suitable for authentic when using traditional Tuscan bread.
  If used with other types of bread this technique will turn the bread into a mush ruining your Panzanella salad.
  For this reason I like to use spray bottle. This way you’ll have a full control of how much water you want the bread to absorb without ever risking of having a soggy mush.
  But there’s also a way in between. Place bread in a large strainer over a bowl or a sink and pour the water over it letting the excess immediately run through the strainer.
• Texture of the bread: how coarse or how fine your want your bread pieces in the Panzanella. Florentines prefer larger pieces of bread that will still have a slight bite in the center.
  Close to the coastline of Tuscany they tend to crumble the bread into smaller pieces.
  Try them both and see what YOU like best.
• Bread soaking liquid: water and water mixed with vinegar and the most common ones. Some locals however like to blitz half of all fresh tomatoes diluted with a little water and cover the stale bread with this mix.
  Some say, that in old days fisherman used to soak bread in seawater.
• The amount of vinegar. The recipe below calls for a minimum amount of vinegar that will provide gentle acidity. About 1:2 of vinegar and oil ratio. From there you can always add more vinegar to taste.
  Better yet, place vinegar and oil set on the table so that everyone can adjust their own serving to personal taste.

How To Make Panzanella Salad – Step By Step

Step 1: Prepare the bread

• Cut or break stale bread in large pieces.
  Using a clean spray bottle filled with drinking water generously spray the bread with water. Start with a small quantity of bread and once it’s re-hydrated add the next layer and generously spray with water again.
• Once you’ve finished all the bread, let it sit for 5-10 minutes then mix well crumbling the bread with your fingers.

TIP: you can speed up the process by quickly dipping each piece of bread in water before cutting it, then remove immediately and break in smaller pieces using your hands.

Re-hydrate more if needed using a spray bottle.

Step 2: prepare the vegetables & seasoning

• Wash, dry and cut tomatoes into large cubes about ⅔ of an inch (2×2 cm).
• Wash, pat dry cucumbers and cut it in half and in quarters (depending on the size of the cucumber). Peel the cucumbers if the skin is too hard or leave it if it’s tender.
• Peel and slice red onion into slices that are not too thin and not too thick, about ⅙ of an inch (3 millimeters).
• Mix oil with vinegar and a few pinches of salt.

Step 3: assemble & season Panzanella Salad

• Add all the vegetable to the bowl with the bread, pour over oil and vinegar mix, add more salt to taste. Give a nice stir, add fresh basil leaves torn by hand.
• Give another round of extra virgin olive oil.
• Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.

TIP from the locals 💡
Panzanella tastes even better the day after when all aromas and flavors are properly unleashed. If you decide to follow this advice, keep in mind that it’s best to add basil leaves and season it right before serving.

Full Recipe

Panzanella {Tuscan Bread & Tomato Salad}

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Prep Time10 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ▢ 10 oz stale country bread , 250-300 grams
• ▢ 2 large ripe but firm tomatoes , 500-550 grams
• ▢ 2 cucumbers , about 200-250 grams
• ▢ 1 red onion , 120-150 grams
• ▢ 3 tbsp white wine vinegar , 30 grams
• ▢ 6 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil , 60 grams + more to finishing
• ▢ 20 fresh basil leaves
• ▢ Salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut or break stale bread in large pieces.
  10 oz stale country bread
• Using a clean spray bottle filled with drinking water generously spray the bread with water. Start with a small quantity of bread and once it’s re-hydrated add the next layer and generously spray with water again.

  Once you've finished all the bread, let it sit for 5-10 minutes then mix well crumbling the bread with your fingers.

  TIP: you can speed up the process by quickly dipping each piece of bread in water before cutting it, then remove immediately and break in smaller pieces using your hands.

  Re-hydrate more if needed using a spray bottle.
• Wash, dry and cut tomatoes into large cubes about ⅔ of an inch (2×2 cm).
  2 large ripe but firm tomatoes
• Wash, pat dry cucumbers and cut it in half and in quarters (depending on the size of the cucumber). Peel the cucumbers if the skin is too hard or leave it if it’s tender.
  2 cucumbers
• Peel and slice red onion into slices that are not too thin and not too thick, about ⅙ of an inch (3 millimeters).
  1 red onion
• Mix oil with vinegar and a few pinches of salt.
  3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 6 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, Salt, pepper
• Add all the vegetable to the bowl with the bread, pour over oil and vinegar mix, add more salt to taste. Give a nice stir, add fresh basil leaves torn by hand.
  20 fresh basil leaves
• Give another round of extra virgin olive oil.
• Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.

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Buon Appetito!