michetta

Similar to the rosetta and filled with air hollows, the michetta is the local adaptation of the Kaisersemmal (Kaiser roll), introduced in Milan during the Austrian occupation.

There is a reason for it: in the humidity of the Po Valley, a dense crumb always turns rubbery within a few hours, so the city has devised a bread meant to be eaten on the day it is baked.

Other names include maggiolino and tartaruga—the latter for its turtle-like shape.