Our ancestors knew this bread and passed it down from recipe book to recipe book: Prato's bread is completely different from the one made in Florence or in any other part of Tuscany. It is ‘silly bread’ (saltless), yet particularly tasty.
Bozza di Prato, a bread belonging to local rural tradition, is now part of Prato's culinary identity. It is a bread made without salt (according to Tuscan tradition), slightly sour, suitable to all types of dishes, and when stale it becomes the basis of traditional local recipes: Panzanella, bread soup, and pappa con il pomodoro.
The GranPrato Association was founded in 2013 to protect the tradition and quality of this product. It includes an ever growing number of farmers, millers, bakers, pastry chefs and retailers who are determined to promote the local economy and its products of excellence, with total respect for the environment.
Bread that bears the GranPrato name is made with stone-ground or rolled-milled flours, using only wheat produced in the cereal areas of the province of Prato or in neighbouring areas and grown with conventional or integrated agricultural systems, organically and with a limited amount of natural fertilizers, so as to enhance the aromas and flavours of the flours and the products made with them. The dough consists of flour, water and a sourdough starter that is jealously guarded by each baker, who use only his/her own when making the bread. Preserving the sourdough starter and refreshing it, baking and retail are all aspects strictly regulated by the GranPrato Association specifications: doses, temperatures and the ideal storage and sale conditions are strictly controlled.