Bread carasatu (or carasàu), is a typical Sardinian bread, widespread throughout Sardinia.
Some archaeological findings suggest that it was made as early as the Bronze Age, this gives us an idea of the antiquity of its origin .
A legend says that it was the Janas, (fairies), who taught a woman the art of making bread carasatu. In the secret of a cave the first dough was made, in the enchanted purity of spring water.

Here the Janas entrusted the woman with the “matrix,” the original ferment, to be handed down from family to family to reveal to men the motherhood of bread. The fusion of the dough with the primordial elements of creation: Water and Earth (flour), Air and Fire, gives birth to this particular product of Sardinian cuisine.
It is a very crunchy bread, the preparation of which, in the past and still today, consists of a real family ritual…
There are many variations, family or village traditions on the preparation of the dough, processing and baking that determine nuances of flavor, texture of the sheet and size.
Its preparation involves several stages of processing.

The first stage and traditionally takes place before sunrise. It begins with the preparation of the dough by combining the various ingredients and kneading them vigorously on a table. The fresh dough is flattened, expanded with the pressure of fists and rolled back on itself, water is added and vigorously manipulated until the dough is smooth. Once ready, the dough is left to rise covered with woollen cloths. Once leavening has begun, the dough is divided into regular parts, which are rounded, floured, and placed in baskets and wrapped between the folds of woolen or linen cloths to rest further so that leavening can continue. Once the dough has risen, it is kneaded with small wooden rolling pins and with the fingertips of the hands, floured continuously, flattened and enlarged to form disks of varying diameters according to location. The discs are deposited on the folds of special woollen cloths. These are then unrolled at the time of their use.

Baking takes place in the oven, where the fire must reach a stable temperature between 450° and 500°. The phase of baking the breads occurs after the coals have been pushed to one side. At this point the first baking stage begins. The strong heat swells the dough sheet in a short time, forming a ball. The air inside begins to expand, resulting in the separation of the two layers. Once baked, the disk of dough has the two faces, now detached, which are quickly separated with a knife.

This operation requires much skill and experience. The discs that represent the final product have one smooth and one rough face. The final stage involves a second baking necessary to complete the entire process. Sos pizos one by one are put back inside the oven for the final baking called “sa carasatura,” and it is from this term that the name “carasatu” bread is derived.

Depending on taste, the sheets are left in the oven for a longer or shorter time. As the sheets come out of the oven, they are stacked in large asphodel baskets (isportas). These characteristic baskets are often up to a meter high, are wrapped in special cloths, and a weight is placed on top, usually a round wooden board or cloths so as to press the sheets down a bit.