In article .com,
stark wrote:

It's for an English word that describes a bread that has been
preserved by toasting or heating. Naturally the bread is no longer
fresh; it's hard and usable only for dunking in soups or stews or
maybe used as a thickener. But the bread keeps for a long while
without
becoming mouldy. As I understand it the bread required no special
handling, just hung
in bags or sacks until it was used.

Sounds like a rusk to me.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007