Matera’s bread is the bread obtained by an ancient processing system, typically used by bakers in the city and province of Matera, in the Basilicata region. This system provides for the exclusive use of durum wheat semolina. Lasagna Recipe
The bread obtained, thanks to the ingredients used and the specificity of the manufacturing process, is characterized by a yellow color, a typical and very different porosity (with pores inside the bread, with a diameter ranging from 2–3 mm up to 60 mm), an extremely characteristic taste and smell. The shelf life of the bread thus obtained can reach 7 days for 1 kg pieces and 9 days for 2 kg pieces.
Due to its processing system, the centennial tradition of Lucanian farmers and bakers that dates back to the Kingdom of Naples, and the shape that reminds the landscape of the Murgia Materana, Matera’s Bread became the symbol of the City of the Sassi and in February 2018 has obtained the IGP mark. Pasta Salad Recipes
Its production was an important ritual, marked by fundamental steps – from the recovery of the mother yeast to the formation of the dough – which were homemade. These phases were part of the female duties and, the more the bread was soft and fragrant, the more the woman who made it was admired. Italian Desserts
At this point, however, the male part of society came into play: the baker had to shape the loaf, bake it and imprint the mark, while the head of the family was responsible for the delicate task of cutting slices on a regular basis. To do this, he hugged the loaf holding it against his chest and began to slice carrying the sharp knife towards him: therefore, one had to be very careful not to cut himself. Spaghetti Recipe
The assignment was so important and delicate that the boys were considered ready to marry only when they managed to cut a slice of bread perfectly. Easy Pasta Recipes
The baking of the bread took place in public ovens, where women brought their own dough: until the end of the 1950s, before baking, with a hardwood stamp, a mark was recognized on the loaf for recognition. The stamp not only indicated family ownership, but also had a very strong symbolic value: it was believed that each stamp corresponded to a particular virtue, such as strength, defense, fruitfulness, and that, by marking the loaf, they were able to transfer these values to bread and, consequently, to those who ate it. Italian Sausage Recipes
Furthermore, the baker had the task of carving three cuts with the knife on the upper part of the loaf, a gesture that recalls the religious formula “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
