In Italy, everyone heads out in the morning to buy fresh bread. You will see the signs for Panetteria. Bread is made early in the morning and the panetteria usually open around 7AM.
The typical bread is made with yeast, flour, water and salt and there will be different varieties such as integrale (wheat), bianco (white) or arabo (flatbread) . You can buy by the chilogram or purchase in individual rolls/buns.
For vegans, you may want to ask to make sure that they have not used milk in the bread or animal byproducts. It just depends on the bakery and their traditions of making the breads. Many bakeries will also use egg white/egg wash or butter to coat the top of the bread before baking. As with anything else, do your research and ask questions. Unless you make it yourself, you never know what’s in it.
You will also find other breads and sweets, such as brioche (croissants). The brioche will have butter, milk and perhaps egg in them, since the traditional recipe includes those ingredients. Finding a specific place that sells vegan croissants in Italy will be challenging and you may have to make them at home.
Below is a typical list of some breads and what you can find in a panetteria and if it is traditionally vegan or not. Depending on which region you are in, in Italy, the regional foods will change. Pane siciliano, for example, if made in the region of Puglia, will be VEGAN, however in some regions of Sicily, the Pane siciliano is made with honey and/or butter.
Some regions will typically use the same type of ingredients. Mountainous regions such as Abruzzo will use more animal products, since the majority of the inhabitants of this area are contadini (farmers).
- Pani caserecci basic white bread: VEGAN
- Pane arabo flat bread, no yeast: VEGAN
- Pane integrale wheat flour bread: VEGAN
- Pasta dura hard white rolls: VEGAN
- Ferrarese Comes from the Emilia-Romagna region. Hard, white twisted breadsticks: VEGAN
- Pane siciliano traditional recipes may have honey or butter.
- Pane di segale rye bread: VEGAN
- Pane ai cinque cereali five grain bread: VEGAN
- Pane giallo corn bread, may have rye or white flour in it also: VEGAN
- Grissini integrali breadsticks: VEGAN
- Pane toscano traditional white bread of Tuscany: VEGAN
- Pane con fichi traditional sweet bread of Lombardy region, it may have honey in it.
- Pane all’ uva white bread with raisins, this bread is either made with oil or strutto, which is animal lard and/or eggs. Check first.
- Torinesi breadsticks: VEGAN
- pane tartine al latte made with milk.
You will also find other types of bread and dough, such as pizza dough, focacce, and fresh pasta. Remember, fresh pasta is usually made with eggs!!
There will also be a variety of cookies, the majority of which will be made with eggs, sugar, butter and/or strutto lard.
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