Coppia ferrarese

Coppia ferrarese, also known as ciopa, ciupeta and pane ferrarese, is a twisted sourdough bread from the Italian province of Ferrara, made with flour, lard, malt and olive oil. It was first made around the thirteenth century. The first record of special bread-making regulations in Ferrara is a statute of 1287, and the first mention of a bread similar to the present loaf dates from 1536, when, according to Cristoforo da Messisbugo, the Duke of Este was offered a pane ritorto, or woven bread, during Carnival. The tradition of baking this kind of bread continued until the unification of Italy. In 2001 the recipe gained protected geographical indication status under European Union law, and regulations require conditions such as a maximum humidity of between 12 and 15 percent and sale within twenty-four hours. The bread is a staple of the culture of the city of Ferrara and is named as one of the two most important parts of its cuisine, alongside a specialist salami.