Bread is the true protagonist of Florentine cuisine, both a staple ingredient and an interpreter of a humble, peasant culinary tradition that has been revived by home cooking-honest and traditional-as well as by a more “conscious” approach to dining.

Popular and familiar, the “cuisine of bread” has never been abandoned, not even in touristy Florence or in 19th-century cooking, which was influenced by French cuisine. The lower social classes, along with the cooks in trattorias and osterias, kept it alive.

What are these dishes? The black cabbage soup and all its variations… ribollita, its rightful heir, along with pappa al pomodoro and panzanella, its humbler descendants. Not to mention bread with oil, with garlic, with cabbage, as well as fettunta (bread with oil) and crostini (toasted bread).

First came the “panata,” a 14th-century soup made from grated stale bread, eggs, cheese, nutmeg, and salt. Boccaccio mentions “pan lavato” (washed bread), and in the alleys of Pietro Aretino’s Florence, the air was thick with the scent of “Agliate” (garlic-based dishes) and “Porrate” (leek-based soups)-all dishes that relied on stale bread.

Ribollita

Ribollita is undoubtedly the symbolic dish of the Tuscan peasant tradition. Originally a way to repurpose leftovers, it has endured through the centuries to become a classic of regional cuisine. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, when the need to make the most of available resources led to the creation of simple yet hearty and flavorful dishes.

The name “ribollita” (which means “reboiled”) appeared officially for the first time in 1910 in a cookbook by Alberto Cougnet, although the dish itself is much older. An earlier reference can be found in Pellegrino Artusi’s book Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, where the soup is described as “Tuscan lean soup of the peasants.” His recipe featured ingredients similar to those in modern ribollita: stale bread, white beans, oil, water, savoy cabbage, black cabbage, chard, potatoes, and, in some variations, pork rind or ham.

But why is it called Ribollita? Simple: in country homes, this soup was made in large quantities on Fridays, a day of abstinence from meat, as dictated by the Church. It was then reheated and “reboiled” in the following days to optimize time and resources. This second cooking enhanced its flavor, making it even more delicious.

The most traditional version is based on three key ingredients: stale “sciocco” (unsalted) bread, black cabbage, and beans—a simple, natural recipe that perfectly embodies the authentic essence of Tuscan peasant cuisine