Although pizza, spaghetti and other pastas are normally associated with Italy, bread plays an extremely large role in the diets of most Italians. There is rarely a meal served in Italy where bread is not included. Italy and the word “bread” just seem to go together as a pair.

A History that starts in the Neolithic era

Although no one really knows when the first loaf was baked, bread has been around for thousands of years. The presence of stone utensils and ovens dating back to the Neolithic seems to be witness to this. Bread was initially unleavened, as the first yeast was introduced by the Egyptians around 4000 years ago. In ancient Rome bakers were considered important members of society, as bread had an essential role, both for nutrition and religion: it was usual to bake and offer ritual loaves of bread during festivals to the gods. This was actually so common that, often, ovens were even built in temples.