WHAT IS GUTTIAU?
Guttiau Bread or Pane Guttiau is a customary flatbread from Sardinia, Italy. It is almost similar to Pane Carasau, another bread delicacy in the region. It can be eaten either dry or wet with a variety of sauces, wine or just water. It is yeast –free bread, thin as a paper and thinner than the Pane Carasau.
HISTORY/FEATURES
Often referred to as Carta di Musica (Music Card), the bread appears like thin leaves with long cracks resembling lines of a music card/sheet. This is an age-old recipe originally made for shepherds who were travelling far away from home for a long time. If kept in a dry condition then this bread can stay edible for a year. In traditional stone sculptures named Nuraghi (Sardinian), scraps of this bread were found. Archaeological excavations and exploration of such sites prove that the bread was already consumed in Sardinia before 1000 BC. The bread is a low-calorie eatable, even apt for people on hypo-caloric diet (Eating fewer calories than burning). It contains no preservatives and it is a perfect match for pork based meals, cheese or Fish starters.
PREPARATION
The ingredients needed are:
- Whole Wheat Pastry flour – 2-3 cups
- Semolina flour – 2 cups
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tablespoons
- Water(lukewarm) – 2 cups
- Salt & Sea Salt (to taste)
- Preparation time – 40 minutes , Cooking time – 10 minutes
To make the dough, combine wheat flour, semolina flour and salt in a large bowl. In it pour some lukewarm water and mix until it is moist. The next step is crucial in getting the consistency so; knead the dough until it is not sticky. Sprinkle a little amount of flour on a plain surface and knead the dough on it. Knead it for 12-15 minutes until it is smooth. Then wrap the dough with plastic all over and let it stand for 1-1.5 hours (In room temperature).
For Baking, take 2 large baking sheets and dust them with the whole wheat flour. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Then divide the dough into 7 equal pieces. Take one piece and pat on it until a disk/fairly round shape. Roll out the dough into a 13inch larger disk, while turning it over and lifting it to make it even. Then transfer this piece into the baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 3 minutes until the bread is moldable and the edges rise up. Then turn the bread and bake until it is golden in few spots and bubbles rise up. Take the bread out and plate it. To garnish brush the bread with olive oil and sprinkle a little sea salt over it. For the remaining dough process is repeated.