Pane Frattau is a classic Sardinian dish made of crisp, paper-thin Pane Carasau soaked in warm stock, layered with a simple tomato sauce and grated pecorino, and finished with a gently poached egg. It’s comforting, flavourful and ideal for breakfast, brunch or any relaxed meal.
This dish is surprisingly straightforward: Pane Carasau (also called Carta di Musica because of its thin, musical-sheet texture) is briefly dunked in warm stock to soften, then stacked with tomato sauce and pecorino. A poached egg crowns the stack; when cut, the yolk soaks into the layers, creating a rich, saucy bite.
Pane Carasau can usually be found online or in well-stocked Italian grocers. Traditionally sheep or goat stock is used, but vegetable or chicken stock work well too. Use a good-quality passata for the sauce and grate Pecorino Sardo or Romano over each layer for authentic flavour.
Burst the egg over the top and spread it across the bread before serving for the signature, silky finish. The recipe below includes ingredient notes, step-by-step photos and useful tips for perfect poached eggs.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- Visual walk-though of the recipe
- Tips for perfect poached eggs
- Variations
- More recipes you might like
- Full Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Pane Carasau – a thin, crisp Sardinian flatbread available online or in Italian food stores.
- Stock – sheep or goat stock is traditional; vegetable or chicken stock are good alternatives.
- Pecorino – Pecorino Sardo is ideal; Pecorino Romano is a common substitute.
- Passata (tomato puree) – use a good-quality passata for a clean, fresh tomato flavour.
- Eggs – very fresh, room-temperature eggs give the best poached result; older eggs tend to spread out in the water.
Visual walk-though of the recipe
Make the sauce
- Warm a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and briefly saute two whole, peeled garlic cloves until fragrant. Add the passata and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly. Stir in torn fresh basil five minutes before the end and adjust seasoning to taste.
Assemble the Pane Frattau
- Heat the stock in a pot and keep it warm but not boiling.
- Quickly dunk a piece of Pane Carasau into the warm stock to soften (break it if needed), then lay it on a serving plate. Repeat with two or three pieces to form a single even layer.
- Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the layer and grate Pecorino on top. Repeat to create three layers in total.
Poach your eggs (must use fresh eggs)
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Crack each egg into its own ramekin.
- Turn off the heat and submerge the ramekins one at a time into the hot water, then gently pour the eggs into the water. Note the order you add them so you can remove them in the right sequence.
- Poach for 4–5 minutes. Lift the first egg with a slotted spoon and place it on the centre of the Pane Frattau. Repeat with the second egg and season each with a small pinch of salt.
Tips for perfect poached eggs
- Use fresh, room-temperature eggs: fresh eggs hold together better and give a neater poach.
- Boil, then remove heat: bring water to a rolling boil, then turn the heat off before adding the eggs—no need to swirl or add vinegar.
- Pour from ramekins: lower the ramekin into the water and gently pour the egg in close to the surface to avoid splashing.
- Use a slotted spoon: it’s the easiest way to lift poached eggs and drain excess water.
- Pat dry if needed: dab the egg on kitchen paper to remove extra water before plating.
- Poach ahead: cool poached eggs in ice water to stop cooking, then reheat in hot water for 1 minute before serving.
Variations
- Scale up: the recipe makes two generous servings; double the quantities to serve four to six.
- Spicy version: add fresh or dried chillies to the tomato sauce or fold in spicy ‘nduja for heat and depth.
- With onion: some cooks sauté finely chopped white onion before adding the tomato for extra sweetness and texture.
More recipes you might like
Breakfast
Sauteed Tomato Breakfast Crostini With Poached Eggs
Bread & Savory Bakes
La Piadina: Italian Flatbread
Antipasti
Italian Farinata Chickpea Flatbread (La Cecina Toscana)
Bread & Savory Bakes
Brustengo (Umbrian Flatbread)
If you try this Pane Frattau recipe, please rate it and leave a comment to share how it turned out. I love reading your feedback and seeing how you adapt recipes at home.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Pane Frattau
By Emily
Ingredients
- 6.5 oz (180g) Pane Carasau, (about 90g/3oz per person)
- 1.5 cups (400g) passata (tomato puree)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small handful fresh basil
- 2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- Pecorino Sardo or Romano, for grating
- Salt
- Olive oil
Instructions
Make the sauce
-
Heat a drizzle of olive oil and gently saute two whole, peeled garlic cloves until fragrant. Add passata and a pinch of salt.
-
Simmer 15–20 minutes until slightly reduced, stir in torn basil five minutes before finishing, and adjust seasoning.
Assemble the Pane Frattau
-
Keep the stock warm in a pot.
-
Dunk Pane Carasau into the stock to soften, then lay pieces on a plate to form a layer.
-
Spread 1–2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the layer and grate Pecorino on top.
-
Repeat to make three layers total.
Poach your eggs (must use fresh eggs)
-
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and crack each egg into its own ramekin.
-
Turn off the heat, lower the ramekins close to the water and gently pour the eggs in. Remember the order you add them.
-
Poach 4–5 minutes, lift the first egg with a slotted spoon and place it on the Pane Frattau.
-
Repeat with the second egg, season with a pinch of salt and serve. Traditionally, the yolk is broken and spread across the bread before eating.
Notes
- Eggs – use the freshest eggs possible and bring them to room temperature for the best poaching results.
- Poaching ahead – cool poached eggs in ice water to stop cooking; rewarm in hot water for 1 minute before serving.
- Scale – double the ingredients to serve more people.
- Onion – optionally sauté finely chopped white onion before adding the tomato for additional sweetness.
- Spice – add chillies or spicy cured sausage such as ‘nduja to the sauce for heat.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil in most recipes unless stated otherwise.
- For canned tomatoes I prefer high-quality passata for consistent flavour.
- Vegetable sizes are considered medium unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven unless specified.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.