Italian cuisine includes a number of flat breads, breads that are designed to be flattened, rather than rounded and risen. Some actually do include yeast and other leavening agents, making them fluffy and lightly textured, while others have no leavening and they are designed like cracker breads. There are a number of uses for Italian flat bread, from appetizers to sturdy sandwiches, and many people enjoy them with other classical elements of Italian cuisine.
The origins of flat bread are quite old. Most cultures have some version of flat bread, which was presumably designed before heavily risen yeast breads. Many forms can be cooked on an open hearth, rather than an oven, and some from Italy continues to be designed for the griddle or pan, rather than a closed bread oven. Most Italian bakeries offer regional forms of flat bread, as do many Italian restaurants.
An Italian flat bread may be plain or flavored, fluffy with a chewy texture or crackling and designed for snapping and breaking, like a cracker. All of these breads share the common ingredient of wheat flour, although they may incorporate other flours like chickpea for extra flavor and texture. Water, salt, and oil are also common ingredients. Other producers may add garlic, onion, parsley, and other herbs, along with yeast to make the bread rise into a fluffy loaf.
Antipasto platters frequently include Italian flat bread, which can be used to sop up ingredients like flavorful dressings or as a standalone food. Focaccia is a common and well known form, and it may be served plain with antipasto platters or treated like a small pizza, with an assortment of simple ingredients to create flavor and texture. Flat bread is also used to make sandwiches, and it may be offered along with soups, stews, and very moist dishes so that diners can pick up all of the liquid with their bread.
It is very easy to make Italian-inspired flat bread at home. You can look up various regional specialties like focaccia, farinata, or piadina. You can also simply make a basic bread dough and flatten the dough out before baking, brushing it with olive oil and dusting it with herbs, salt, and other seasonings. Italian flat bread is often best hot, although some varieties are good for cold snacking as well.