Bread/Paninis

Bread is so fundamental to everyday eating that the Italians are forever using the word companatico, an all-purpose term for what one eats with bread. “What’s for lunch?” “Pane e companatico”—bread and something that goes with it. And bread is such a basic part of life that while there are very few cookbooks devoted to baking bread at home, many recipes begin: “Take 500 grams of bread dough that you’ve bought from your baker.” Pizzas, focacce, enriched breads, and holiday breads often begin just that way.