Gallura, northern Sardinia — zuppa gallurese (also called suppa cuata, 'hidden soup', because the bread disappears into the broth) is a feast preparation of the Olbia and Tempio Pausania areas. The tradition reflects the pastoral economy of the Gallura: abundant sheep broth, aged Pecorino, and the preserved Carasau bread that keeps for months.
Zuppa gallurese is the festive baked bread soup of northern Sardinia's Gallura region — a preparation of alternating layers of stale Carasau bread (or other dry Sardinian bread), sliced Pecorino Sardo, and fresh Sardinian sheep's milk cheese, moistened with excellent lamb or mutton broth, then baked in the oven until the cheese melts through and the bread has absorbed all the broth into a rich, golden, deeply flavoured mass. It is related to the Valle d'Aosta soupe de Valpelline and the broader Alpine bread-cheese-broth layered tradition but the use of Carasau bread and Sardinian sheep's cheeses gives it a completely different character. Served at weddings and baptisms in the Gallura.
Zuppa gallurese from the oven is golden and fragrant with lamb broth and melted sheep's cheese — the Carasau bread, fully absorbed, has lost its crispness and become a soft, broth-saturated sponge. The Pecorino Sardo layers have melted and crisped at the edges; the primo sale provides freshness and milky richness. It is a preparation of great warmth and generosity — the taste of Gallura hospitality.
Make excellent lamb or mutton broth (melt-in-the-mouth flavour depends on 3+ hours of simmering with the whole animal). In a deep ovenproof dish: layer pieces of Pane Carasau (or stale dense Sardinian bread), thin-sliced aged Pecorino Sardo, and thin-sliced fresh Sardinian cheese (casizolu or primo sale). Moisten generously with hot lamb broth between each layer. Top with the final cheese layer; pour remaining broth over. Bake covered at 180°C for 30 minutes; uncover for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and the broth mostly absorbed but the base still moist.
Zuppa gallurese improves with time — made a few hours before serving and reheated gently, the layers meld more fully. The lamb broth can include offal (liver, lung, intestine) in the traditional Gallura version, producing a more complex, slightly gamey flavour. Casizolu is a specific Sardinian stretched-curd cheese from the Oristano province; fresh mozzarella is the closest substitute though the flavour profile differs.
Insufficient broth — the bread layers must be thoroughly moistened; the final preparation should be rich and almost custard-like, not dry. Wrong bread — Pane Carasau or very stale, dense Sardinian bread is needed; fresh bread disintegrates; standard supermarket bread has wrong texture. Under-seasoned broth — the broth provides all the seasoning of the dish; weak broth produces a dull zuppa.
Anna Gosetti della Salda, Le Ricette Regionali Italiane; Slow Food Editore, Sardinia in Cucina