What are friselle, and how do you eat them?

A frisella in the bag looks unpromising: a hard, pale, knobbly ring that could double as a coaster. Then it meets cold water, ripe tomato and olive oil, and turns into the most refreshing thing you can eat on a hot day. It tastes like a summer lunch by the sea, and once you have the knack it becomes a habit wherever you are.

What a frisella is

According to the Italian Wikipedia entry, the frisella (also frisa, with other local names) is a kind of tarallo, ring-shaped or sometimes flat, found across southern Italy, including Puglia, Calabria, Basilicata, Campania, Lazio and Molise. It is made with durum wheat flour or barley flour, water, salt and yeast. The dough is baked, cut in half horizontally and returned to the oven to dry out completely. The same entry points out that, being baked twice, it isn't strictly bread at all, and describes it as having been a bread for travelling.

That double baking is what makes them so hard, and why they need water before eating.

Wheat or barley

You'll often see two kinds on the shelf:

• Durum wheat friselle are paler, golden and slightly sweet, with a fine crunch.
• Barley friselle are darker, nuttier and more rustic, and hold their structure a little better after dipping.

Many people buy both and alternate. Mixed wheat-and-barley versions exist too.

The dip: the only skill involved

The whole art is in the soaking. Too little and the frisella is a hazard to your teeth; too long and it collapses into wet crumbs.

• Use cold water, in a bowl, or hold the frisella briefly under a running tap.
• Dip it quickly, cut side down, for a few seconds: just long enough for the surface to darken and take on water. Barley friselle can take a little longer.
• Shake off the excess and let it sit for a minute. The water carries on softening it from the inside.
• Aim for a texture that is tender on top and still crunchy at the heart.

Some people skip the dip and let the tomato juice do the softening. It is a matter of taste, and of teeth.

The classic topping

The Wikipedia entry describes the classic: fresh tomato, oregano, salt and extra virgin olive oil. That's it. It works because each ingredient is at its best in summer.

• Tomatoes: very ripe and full of juice. Small cherry tomatoes, crushed by hand over the frisella, or larger ones grated or chopped. Squeeze some of the juice into the bread. Tips on choosing them in picking ripe tomatoes.
• Olive oil: your best, poured generously. It soaks in with the tomato.
• Salt: flaky or coarse sea salt.
• Oregano: dried oregano, crumbled between your fingers, or fresh basil.

Rub the frisella with a cut clove of garlic first if you like it pungent.

Summer toppings beyond the classic

• Rocket and stracciatella or burrata, with a little lemon zest.
• Cucumber, red onion and capers, for a crunchy, salty version.
• Grilled courgettes or aubergines with mint.
• Marinated peppers with olives.
• Ricotta, tomato and basil.
• Chopped tomatoes and peaches with mint and a drop of vinegar, at the height of summer.

Friselle can also be broken into pieces and tossed with tomatoes, cucumber and onion to make a quick salad, very much in the spirit of panzanella.

How to serve them

For lunch on a hot day, put out a bowl of water, a pile of friselle, a bowl of crushed tomatoes and the oil, salt and oregano, and let everyone build their own. With a glass of something cold and a few olives, it is a complete meal. They are also ideal for days when it is too hot to cook.