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PhrasesAt the BakeryAvete il pane di Altamura?
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Avete il pane di Altamura?

Do you have Altamura bread?

Pronunciation

al-ta-MU-ra — four syllables, stress on third.

When to use it

In Puglia or a quality Italian bakery when looking for the most famous Italian DOP bread.

What it means

Pane di Altamura has DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) status — it must be made from durum wheat semolina, water, yeast and salt, baked in a wood-fired oven in the Altamura area of Puglia. It has a thick crust and golden crumb and keeps for up to a week.

Variations

È fatto con semola di grano duro?

Is it made from durum wheat semolina?

'Semola di grano duro' is the ingredient that gives Altamura bread its distinctive texture

Quanto si conserva questo pane?

How long does this bread keep?

Altamura bread is famous for its shelf life — often good for 5–7 days

Il forno è a legna?

Is the oven wood-fired?

Wood-fired ovens are required for authentic Altamura DOP bread

Mini Dialogue

— Avete il pane di Altamura? — Sì, lo facciamo con semola di Puglia — non è il DOP ma è fatto come quello autentico. — Quanto si conserva? — Cinque o sei giorni — è la magia della semola.

— Do you have Altamura bread? — Yes, we make it with Puglia semolina — it is not the DOP but it is made like the authentic one. — How long does it keep? — Five or six days — it is the magic of semolina.

Cultural Note

Pane di Altamura received DOP status in 2003 — one of the few breads in the world with protected designation. A scene in the Mel Gibson film 'The Passion of the Christ' (filmed partly in Matera, near Altamura) is said to have been inspired by the town's ancient bread-making tradition.