The Absolute Best Bread for Traditional Panzanella

An absolute necessity in a traditional panzanella is some sort of bread, as it is essentially a bread salad. The bread needs to stand up to the dressing and juicy tomatoes, so this dish is one of the best ways to use up the stale bread in the back of your cupboard – but which variety of bread is best for Tuscan-inspired salad? A crispy, dense option like ciabatta is one of the go-to breads for panzanella, but it’s definitely not the only option that works.

To keep it classic, cook Tasting Table’s heirloom tomato panzanella recipe which uses a loaf of ciabatta to bring together the other ingredients like tomatoes and fresh herbs. However, recipe developer Susan Olayinka, who created our version of the dish, says sourdough bread also works in place of ciabatta. Other crusty breads like a French loaf, Italian bread or even a baguette also work in a panzanella salad. As delicious as soft breads like brioche and challah can be, avoid them for panzanella, as they will likely become soggy and lack the density and crunch that this traditional recipe relies on. For quick results, you can cheat and use store-bought croutons, but it won’t be as delicious as homemade.

Read more: 23 Whole Foods Baked Goods, Ranked

How to Prepare Your Crispy Bread for Panzanella

After securing the baguette, ciabatta or other crusty bread, there are still a few steps to follow to ensure the best bread fits in the panzanella. Since stale bread is the best option, so try to think ahead when preparing this salad. For best results, tear or cut the bread into bite-sized pieces, then let them sit overnight. If this is not possible, follow our recipe and toast the pieces of bread in the oven for 1 minute on each side according to Olayinka’s advice. You can also toss the bread in olive oil and then bake in an oven set to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 15 minutes.

The other step to getting a flavorful (and not soggy) panzanella is to add the rest of the ingredients, including the vinaigrette or salad dressing, then add the bread last so it has enough time to soak up the flavors without becoming too soft. before the first bite. To prepare this dish ahead of time, keep the salad, dressing, and bread separate until it’s almost time to serve. If you have leftover stale bread and want to try a less conventional recipe, use the crispy pieces from our Summer Beef and Panzanella Noodle Salad recipe.

Read the original article on the tasting table.