Arnad and the lower Valle d'Aosta. The tradition of incorporating the lard into bread is a bakery application of the region's most famous cured product — an extension of the lard tradition beyond its conventional serving on cold bread.
The Valle d'Aosta tradition of wrapping bread dough around slices of Lard d'Arnad DOP before baking — a technique that uses the cured Alpine fatback as both filling and flavouring — produces a flatbread that is simultaneously bread and charcuterie. The thin slices of Lard d'Arnad, wrapped inside or placed on top of a simple focaccia-style dough, melt into the bread during baking, leaving fragrant herb pockets and rendering a richness into the crumb. It is the bakery preparation of the Arnad tradition — making lard the centre of a bread rather than an accompaniment.
Warm from the oven, the lard bread has pockets of herb-scented, melted fatback throughout the crumb — the rosemary and juniper of the Lard d'Arnad perfume every bite. The fat makes the crumb tender and rich. It is the most luxurious simple bread in the Valle d'Aosta.
Standard bread dough (500g flour, 300ml water, 7g yeast, 8g salt). After the first rise, flatten to 1.5cm, lay thin-sliced Lard d'Arnad across the surface, fold the dough over and flatten again — incorporating the lard into the interior (like a lamination). Alternatively, press slices of the cured lard into the surface of the flattened dough. Allow second rise (45 minutes). Bake at 220°C for 20-25 minutes until golden and fragrant. The fat from the lard renders into the dough during baking, creating pockets of herb-scented fat throughout.
Lard d'Arnad is served at room temperature — so bring it to room temperature before incorporating. The combination of herbs in the cured lard (rosemary, juniper, sage) perfume the bread during baking. Eat warm, never toasted — the second heating dries out the fat pockets.
Over-folding — the lard slices should be distributed, not processed into the dough uniformly. Under-baking — the fat pockets need adequate time to render. Using Lard d'Arnad that is too cold — it tears rather than laying flat when cold.
Slow Food Editore, Valle d'Aosta in Cucina; Carol Field, The Italian Baker