Mazzamurru

Name: Mazzamurru
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sarda
Ingredients: 400 g stale durum wheat bread (such as civraxiu); 800 g canned peeled plum tomatoes; 45 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 2 pieces Garlic cloves; 500 ml vegetable broth; 100 g pecorino sardo dop; 10 leaves fresh basil leaves; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper

Mazzamurru is a comforting western Sardinian bake of stale country bread layered with rich tomato sauce, fresh basil, and sharp sheep's milk cheese.

🇮🇹Italy· Sardinia

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

400 g stale durum wheat bread (such as civraxiu) — cut into thick slices or large chunks
800 g canned peeled plum tomatoes — crushed by hand
45 ml Extra virgin olive oil — divided
2 pieces Garlic cloves — peeled and lightly crushed
500 ml vegetable broth — warm, lightly seasoned
100 g pecorino sardo dop — finely grated
10 leaves fresh basil leaves — torn
1 tsp Fine sea salt — to taste
½ tsp Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Earthenware casserole dish
•Medium saucepan
•Ladle
•Wooden spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 60 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 18 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat thirty millilitres of olive oil and crushed garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant.
2
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, then simmer gently for twenty minutes until slightly thickened.
3
Stir torn basil leaves into the sauce and remove the garlic cloves from the pan.
4
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C or 170 degrees C fan.
5
Ladle a thin layer of hot tomato sauce across the base of an earthenware baking dish.
6
Dip stale bread pieces briefly into warm broth until moistened but still firm.
7
Arrange a tightly packed layer of moistened bread across the bottom of the dish.
8
Spoon warm tomato sauce over the bread and scatter a generous layer of grated Pecorino Sardo.
9
Repeat the layers of bread, sauce, and cheese until all ingredients are used, ending with cheese.
10
Drizzle remaining olive oil over the top and bake for twenty-five minutes until bubbling and golden.
11
Rest the bake for ten minutes before serving warm so the layers set.

Chef's tips

Use very hard, crusty durum wheat bread like Sardinian civraxiu because soft sandwich bread will turn soggy. Dip the bread into the broth for only two seconds to keep structure in the finished bake.

Ingredient substitutions

Civraxiu bread → a dense, crusty country sourdough or stale ciabatta
Pecorino Sardo DOP → Pecorino Romano or mature Fiore Sardo

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for fifteen minutes covered loosely with foil.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Soaking the bread for too long in the broth, which turns the dish into mush.
•Using bland pre-grated cheese instead of savoury, mature sheep's milk cheese.
•Baking without resting, which causes the sauce to run rather than set into clean layers.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm directly from the earthenware baking dish at the table.Pour a glass of dry Sardinian red wine like Monica di Sardegna.Accompany with a simple green salad dressed in olive oil.