Origin place card
Padula e comuni limitrofi (SA)
Verified history
The source says it has been produced 'for centuries' ('da secoli') and notes a visual analogy to the Roman 'panis quadratus' of Pompeian mosaics; no precise date is given.
Ingredients
Mix of durum and soft wheat flour, leaven, water.
Method
Two flours kneaded with yeast in warm water; rise 3-4h (summer) / 4-5h (winter); round ~2 kg loaves scored with perpendicular stripes; baked in wood-fired oven; keeps ~15 days.
Why travel for it
A loaf that invites travel because it looks almost archaeological: squared like an old image, but still made for eating across many days.
Editorial warning
The panis quadratus reference is an analogy, not a documented lineage; history otherwise generic ('da secoli').