cereals and derivatives

Carasau bread

Generality

Carasau bread is an Italian Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT), which has its roots in the Sardinia region (province of Nuoro). It is a baked food based on durum wheat, which is part of the bread and related group, although - due to its characteristic shape - it is much more like a sort of "wafer"; not by chance, carasau bread is also known as "music paper".

The energy intake of carasau bread is high (since it contains very little water) and carbohydrates prevail over other energy nutrients; this food is therefore part of those products to be consumed in moderation in the event of overweight and certain metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia.

From a gastronomic point of view, carasau bread brilliantly replaces classic bread. On the other hand, it does not contain breadcrumbs, which is why it has a greater shelf life; therefore it represents an excellent travel food.

Description

Carasau bread has the appearance of a real crunchy wafer; it is composed of circular sheets (as anticipated, similar to large wafers), totally without crumbs, not more than 40cm wide and with unquantifiable thickness. The color is golden, the characteristic flavor and the aroma strongly recalls hints of cereals, granary and oven wood.

The raw materials of carasau bread are: semolina, water, yeast and salt from the Sardinia region; we will analyze them in more detail in the following paragraph.

Production of Carasau Bread: System, Equipment and Premises

First of all, we mention the QUALITY of the raw materials needed: the flour for carasau bread is a re-ground durum wheat, the latter grown exclusively within the Sardinia region; the ferments are natural and not artificial in nature (such as chemical yeast); the salt is of marine type (therefore rich in iodine) and of native origin; finally, the water is totally de-chlorinated.

Carasau bread must be produced in strict compliance with 4 basic steps. The 4 processing phases can be summarized as follows:

  1. Ingredient mixture; the mixture is worked until an elastic and smooth dough is obtained.
  2. 2 leavening; the first involves the dough and lasts about 30 '. Subsequently, circular sheets are obtained which undergo a further leavening on special linen, cotton or hemp sheets for about two hours.
  3. Cooking; it takes place in the oven, which must reach a temperature of 450-550 ° C; the disks are placed inside the cooking instrument and swell instantly like a sort of "balloon". This must be extracted immediately and cut crosswise to obtain 2 discs to be stacked one on the other (in slight compression).
  4. Carasatura (biscuit); is the most characteristic phase. It consists of a second bake of the disks to brown them and toast them. They will then be extracted and further stacked (again with a slight compression) making sure that the arrangement does not cause the disks to break in the packaging.

Nowadays, also carasau bread (despite being a traditional food) is produced with a certain level of automation. The initial compound requires the use of a kneader and the discs are obtained with the action of a sheeter. Packaging takes place in containers for sealing foods.

In compliance with the production disciplinary, processing and conditioning operations must be carried out in special establishments located in the regional territory. The automation we have referred to is aimed at guaranteeing the best quality and organoleptic standards; the structures used must be prepared for the right air exchange, lighting, flooring and hygienic sanitary adjustments.

Gastronomy and Nutritional Characteristics of Carasau Bread

Carasau bread can be consumed in many ways and the recipes that include it are truly countless. Dry consumption is particularly pleasant, thanks to the rusk consistency; there is no lack of small elaborations such as pane guttìau (anointing with extra virgin olive oil, salting and baking in the oven), and more complex formulas such as pane frattàu (similar to a lasagna).

The nutritional contribution of carasau bread is not specified in any database of research institutes for food and beverages, but it is possible to state that it does not differ much from that of dry pasta. Readers will wonder why it should look more like pasta than classic bread: the answer is not complicated! First of all, pane carasau does NOT contain seasoning fats, therefore the lipid supply is completely marginal. Secondly, as we have already said, this food is passed back into the oven and does NOT have crumb; this means that the water content is reduced to a minimum. Ultimately, carasau bread brings about 20% more kcal than white bread with breadcrumbs, but these calories almost exclusively derive from complex carbohydrates; lipids are insignificant and proteins are not significant. All the other nutrients of carasau bread (mineral salts and vitamins) are almost superimposable (but slightly higher) than those of traditional bread.

Carasau bread is a food that contains gluten and is not suitable for celiacs; furthermore, excessive portions of this product are NOT RECOMMENDED in case of overweight, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia.

WARNING! There are, or rather "they existed", different types of carasau bread than the traditional one. The product described so far is the refined one, which means that in the past it was the baked product for the higher social classes. On the contrary, the less privileged classes consumed carasau bread made from barley flour and bran.

Carasau bread pie with stracchino and Asiago courgettes

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Reference sites:

  • Traditional Product of Sardinia - Pane Carasau - //www.sardegnaagricoltura.it/