15. Su Pane Lentu

The photo portrays Dina during an intermediate phase of the process of preparing carasau bread, also called carasatu bread in Loculi. This phase, of Fresare or calpire, constitutes the most delicate and important of the process and gives rise to Su Pane lentu. On Pane lentu since it does not lend itself to long conservation, it must be consumed immediately. It has a soft and elastic texture and, unlike carasatu bread,  can be folded or rolled as desired.

carasatu bread is a typical Sardinian bread spread throughout Sardinia, circular in shape, with a very thin and crunchy consistency. The Sardinian term carasau, also in the Baronian variant carasatu, derives from the Sardinian verb carasare, which means to toast and refers to the final cooking which gives it the typical texture and crunchiness.

The main stages of food preparation are as follows:

• S’inthurta, is the preparation of the dough. The yeast previously dissolved in warm water is mixed with the sieved flour and kneaded in a wooden cupboard;
• Cariare or hariare, is the processing phase of the fresh dough which is flattened, spread out with the pressure of the fists and rolled back on itself and, with the addition of water, manipulated with force until you get a smooth dough. The success of the bread depends a lot on this phase and its duration is different for the many varieties;
• Weighing is the leavening phase. The processed paste is placed in special terracotta or cork containers and covered with woolen cloths and left to rest as necessary;
• Orire or sestare is the phase in which the dough is divided into regular pieces which are rounded, floured and placed in special baskets wrapped between the folds of wool or linen cloths to let them rest (pasare) again, so that the leavening can continue;
• Illadare is the phase in which the leavened dough is worked with wooden rolling pins and the fingertips of the hands, floured, flattened and continuously expanded to be shaped into the circular shape characteristic of bread. Once the desired size has been obtained, the circular sheets obtained (sas tundas) are placed on the folds of special woolen cloths and ready for cooking;
• Cochere is the first phase of cooking, which takes place strictly in a wood oven. In this phase, sas tundas are placed on a wooden shovel, also circular in shape, and introduced into the oven. The strong heat quickly swells the leaf into a ball. The air inside begins to expand, causing the two layers to separate.
• Freare or calpire is the intermediate phase between the first and second firing and is the one shown in the photo. Once the disc of dough has come out of the oven, the two now detached faces are separated (carpire, calpire ormilling) with the knife, quickly, possibly before the air flows out of some cracks or that it reduces too much in volume and the dough collapses due to cooling. It is one of the most delicate processing stages and gives rise to Su Pane lentu;
• Carasare is the last phase of the process and consists of the second cooking of the product and gives it its characteristic consistency. Depending on the tastes of the families, the sheets are left in the oven for a longer or shorter time.

The pane carasatu is a food suitable for being stored for a long time and for this reason it was consumed by shepherds during long periods of absence from home to look after the livestock.