Schiacciata

Schiacciata. Plain Tuscan bread called pane sciocco, meaning bland bread, is traditionally cooked in a wood oven, and has a thick crust and no salt. The absence of salt has its roots in the medieval Medici period, when Florence and Pisa were at war and the Pisani had blocked the supply of salt to all lands owned by the Medici, forcing the common people to a salt-free diet that is still found in the traditional recipe.

It was due to the same reasons that the Florentines had to improvise in order for their bread to acquire en extra taste that would make it more tasteful. That would be materialized in the form of the Schiacciata bread, a flat, stuffed with cheese, fresh tomatoes, diced veggies and olives, sometimes salami, and others grapes depending on the variation. It is topped with herbs and nowadays salt or grated, baked cheese and can be a perfect snack on its own or used as a variety of bread for one delicious sandwich.