TESTI DI TERRACOTTA

Flat Discs of Terracotta

Testi are thick, rough, flat discs of terracotta with a more or less pronounced rim. They are used for focaccette made with flour or chestnut flour (like Necci from Garfagnana or Focaccette from Aulla) and are put directly on to the fire.

To avoid the dough sticking to the plate dampened chestnut leaves are used as a lining. The dough is flattened to ensure even cooking. These testi have been used since Roman times and were very widely used in the first centuries of the second millenium when this was the standard method of cooking in the mountain areas which extend from Genoa to Emilia and southern Tuscany.