Italian cuisine features various types of flatbreads, including focaccia, which can be flavored or plain and used for appetizers, sandwiches, or as a standalone food. They can be made at home or found in Italian bakeries and restaurants.
Italian cuisine includes a number of focaccias, breads designed to be flattened, rather than rounded and leavened. Some actually include yeast and other leavening agents, which make them fluffy and slightly textured, while others have no leavening and are designed like cracker bread. There are numerous uses for Italian focaccia, from appetizers to hearty sandwiches, and many people enjoy them with other classic elements of Italian cooking.
The origins of flat bread are quite ancient. Most cultures have a version of flatbread, which was presumably engineered before heavily yeasted loaves. Many forms can be cooked over an open hearth, rather than an oven, and some from Italy continue to be designed for the griddle or pan, rather than a closed bread oven. Most Italian bakeries offer regional forms of focaccia, as do many Italian restaurants.
An Italian flat bread can be plain or flavored, fluffy with a chewy or crackling texture and designed to crack and break, like a cracker. All of these breads share the common ingredient of wheat flour, though they can incorporate other flours like chickpeas for extra flavor and texture. Water, salt and oil are also common ingredients. Other manufacturers may add garlic, onion, parsley and other herbs, along with yeast to make the bread rise into a fluffy loaf.
Antipasto platters often include Italian flat bread, which can be used to make ingredients such as savory toppings or as a standalone food. Focaccia is a common and well-known form and can be served plain with antipasti platters or treated like a small pizza, with an assortment of simple ingredients to create flavor and texture. Flat bread is also used to make sandwiches and can be offered alongside soups, stews, and very moist dishes so that diners can mop up all the liquid with their bread.
It’s very easy to make an Italian-inspired focaccia at home. You can search for various regional specialties such as focaccia, farinata or piadina. You can also simply make a basic bread dough and flatten the dough before baking, brushing it with olive oil and sprinkling it with herbs, salt and other seasonings. Italian focaccia is often very hot, although some varieties are also good for cold snacks.
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