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1
Tear the day-old pane sciocco by hand into irregular pieces of 3–5 cm. Submerge in cold water for 30 seconds only, then lift out and squeeze firmly with both hands until moist but not waterlogged — the bread should hold together under light pressure without releasing water when released.
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2
Rub the surface of the squeezed bread all over with the cut face of a garlic clove. Set aside.
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3
Core and roughly break the tomatoes into a colander set over a bowl. Salt them and leave to rest for 20 minutes. The liquor collected in the bowl is part of the dressing — retain it entirely. The tomatoes should look visibly wet and relaxed, their flesh beginning to soften at the edges.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies: combine the squeezed bread, drained tomatoes, red onion, and torn basil in a wide bowl. Pour over the reserved tomato liquor, then dress with the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss firmly so the bread breaks into the tomatoes and every surface is coated — this is not a gentle fold. Taste for salt and vinegar balance; the dressing should be assertive, as it will mellow during the rest.
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5
Cover and leave the assembled salad to rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes. The bread will absorb the tomato-vinegar mixture and swell slightly. At the end of the rest, the bowl should show little free liquid pooling — it will have been taken up by the bread. Serve at room temperature, never cold.