Panzanella — Tuscan bread and tomato salad
Stale country bread soaking up tomato juices, crisp cucumber, a little red onion and basil: a tender, juicy salad without soggy bread.
Ingredients for two
| 150 g | Bread (baguette or country loaf) pareve country or sourdough bread with a dense crumb, 1–2 days old (3–4 thick slices); not baguette or soft sandwich bread |
| 300 g | Tomatoes, vine or round 2 large, very ripe tomatoes |
| 120 g | Cucumbers 1 small, firm cucumber |
| 40 g | Red onions 1/4 onion (a whole onion weighs 150 g) |
| 15 g | Red wine vinegar 1 tbsp, kosher: 1 tsp for the onion, the rest for dressing |
| 40 g | Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp: 2 over the bread, 1 1/2 when assembling, a final drizzle to serve |
| 10 g | Fresh basil about 12 leaves |
| 60 g | Water 60 ml to finish softening the bread in step 3 after the tomato juice; the onion's soaking water is not counted |
| 4 g | Fine salt 2/3 tsp: 2 g for the tomatoes, 1 g for the cucumber, 1 g when assembling |
| 0.4 g | Ground black pepper a few turns of the pepper mill |
Method
- Tear the stale bread into 2–3 cm bites in a mixing bowl, without a knife: irregular edges absorb better. If the bread is less than a day old, spread the pieces on a tray and dry in the oven at 150°C for 10–12 minutes, until they sound hollow and feel dry, without colouring. Cool for 5 minutes before moistening.
- Cut the tomatoes into 2 cm pieces and toss with 2 g of the 4 g salt in the second bowl. Rest for 10 minutes so the juices collect at the bottom. Meanwhile, slice the onion very finely and soak for 10 minutes in the small bowl of cold water with 1 tsp vinegar, 5 g of the 15 g, to mellow and flavour it. Cut the cucumber into 5 mm half-moons, season with 1 g salt and leave to drain for 10 minutes in the colander over a plate.
- Tilt the tomato bowl and spoon off 30–50 g juice onto the bread. Add water by the spoonful, mixing with your fingertips, until the pieces yield when pressed but stay distinct; allow 40–60 g depending on the bread. Drizzle with half the oil, 20 g or 2 tbsp, mix and wait 5 minutes. Never squeeze the bread into a mash.
- Shake the colander, blot the cucumber with kitchen paper and add to the tomatoes. Drain the onion in the colander and squeeze dry in kitchen paper.
- Combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Add 15 g oil (1 1/2 tbsp), the remaining vinegar (10 g, 2 tsp), the last gram of salt, the pepper and two-thirds of the torn basil. Mix gently. Taste a piece of bread: it should be clearly seasoned, as bread absorbs salt; adjust as needed. Rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, up to 1 hour, rather than in the fridge, as cold dulls the tomatoes. Stir once more, add the remaining basil and finish with a drizzle of the last 5 g oil when serving.
On your plate
Recipe
419 kcal · protein 8 g · carbs 44 g · fat 22 g
Quantities per person
- 75 g Bread (baguette or country loaf)
- 150 g Tomatoes, vine or round
- 60 g Cucumbers
- 20 g Red onions
- 7.5 g Red wine vinegar
- 20 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 g Fresh basil
- 30 g Water
- 2 g Fine salt
- 0.2 g Ground black pepper
Cooking tips
Make up to 1 hour before the meal and keep at room temperature, adding the fresh basil at the last moment. Buy the bread on your previous shopping trip or save some from the day before. Use a dense crumb, country bread or sourdough, never baguette or soft sandwich bread, which fall apart in the juices. For fresh bread, dry in the oven as in step 1, allowing 15 extra minutes, or leave it cut up and exposed to the air the day before. The water needed depends on the bread: always start with tomato juice, then add water by the spoonful. This panzanella should be tender, not crunchy; eat the same day to keep the cucumber firm.
A contemporary version in bite-sized pieces, inspired by Tuscan panzanella. The Florentine tradition soaks bread in vinegary water, squeezes it by hand and crumbles it; here the bread absorbs tomato juice and stays in distinct pieces. Cucumber makes this a summer version.
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