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1
Heat the broth until it is fully simmering and clear. Taste: it must be deeply savoury and well-seasoned, as it is the sole source of flavour and liquid in the dish. A weak broth produces a flat supa cuata.
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2
Arrange a single layer of stale bread slices across the base of a terracotta baking dish. Scatter over a portion of grated aged Pecorino Sardo, then a layer of fresh soft pecorino. Ladle hot broth over the layers until the bread is just saturated but not flooded. Repeat for 4–5 layers in total, finishing with grated aged pecorino on top. The bread should swell and be barely submerged — this is where the dish lives or dies: too little broth and the interior remains dry; too much and the supa cuata loses its self-supporting, bread-pudding-like structure.
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3
Cover the dish tightly with foil and place in an oven at 180 °C. Bake for 30 minutes, until the interior is fully set. Test by pressing gently at the centre: the mass should yield with firm resistance, not liquid give.
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4
Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. The top should be deep golden and lightly crisped at the edges; the smell is of toasted cheese and rich lamb broth.
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5
Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving. The interior continues to firm as it cools slightly; the surface should hold its shape cleanly when cut and lifted.