Acquasale Pugliese

Name: Acquasale Pugliese
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 300 g pane di altamura or stale durum wheat bread; 250 ml cold water; 400 g ripe plum or vine tomatoes; 1 piece red onion (preferably di acquaviva); 150 g carosello or small crisp cucumber; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp dried wild oregano; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 8 leaves fresh basil leaves

A rustic Apulian bread salad made from stale durum wheat bread moistened with water and dressed with ripe tomatoes, red onion, and olive oil.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 15 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

300 g pane di altamura or stale durum wheat bread — cut into thick slices or large chunks
250 ml cold water — for moistening
400 g ripe plum or vine tomatoes — roughly chopped with their juices
1 piece red onion (preferably di acquaviva) — thinly sliced
150 g carosello or small crisp cucumber — peeled and sliced
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — robust Pugliese variety
1 tsp dried wild oregano — crushed between fingers
1 tsp Fine sea salt — to taste
8 leaves fresh basil leaves — torn

Equipment

•Large shallow bowl
•Colander
•Sharp chef's knife
•Chopping board

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 15 g
carbs: 38 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 310 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water for ten minutes to temper its sharpness.
2
Arrange the stale durum wheat bread pieces in a wide serving bowl.
3
Drizzle the cold water evenly over the bread until it softens slightly without turning mushy.
4
Squeeze the chopped tomatoes gently over the bread so the bread absorbs the tomato juices.
5
Scatter the squeezed tomato flesh, cucumber slices, and drained red onion across the moistened bread.
6
Season the salad generously with fine sea salt and crushed dried oregano.
7
Drizzle the robust extra virgin olive oil over the entire dish.
8
Scatter torn basil leaves over the top and leave to stand for fifteen minutes before serving.

Chef's tips

Use genuine dense durum wheat bread, such as pane di Altamura, as softer white bread will disintegrate into paste. If your bread is rock hard, splash it quickly under running water rather than submerging it. Allow the salad to sit for at least fifteen minutes so the bread absorbs the tomato water and olive oil.

Ingredient substitutions

pane di Altamura → any crusty stale sourdough or friselle (dried durum wheat rusks)
carosello cucumber → standard mini cucumbers or Lebanese cucumbers

Storage

Best eaten within two hours of preparation, but can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to twelve hours.

Reheating

This dish is strictly served cold or at room temperature and must not be reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Soaking the bread for too long, which makes it disintegrate into a soggy porridge.
•Discarding the tomato seeds and juices, which are vital for flavouring the bread.