Piadina Romagnola (Romagna-style flat bread)

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PRESENTATION

Piadina Romagnola (Romagna-style flat bread)

It's the queen of Italian street food and it's loved by millions of people all over the world: we're talking about Piadina Romagnola (Romagna style flat bread), a humble recipe with very ancient origins, which can be stuffed with any ingredient your imagination suggests. From the most traditional filling such as rocket, arugula and Squacquerone cheese, to the most innovative such as hummus, tofu or chicken salad, the result will always be super appetizing! Perfect as a single dish for an informal lunch, the flatbread can also be used to create delicious treats to be served as an appetizer, such as rolls with salmon, avocado and yogurt cream, or for another must of Romagna cuisine, watercress, but not to be confused with crescia sfogliata, typical instead of the Urbino area!Let your imagination run wild and create your favorite flatbread... whether sweet or savory, with our recipe you can't go wrong!

INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for 6 piadine of 22 cm diameter
Flour 00 4 cups (500 g)
Lard ⅔ cup (125 g)
Water ¾ cup (170 g) - at room temperature
Fine salt 1 tsp (15 g)
Baking soda 1 ½ tsp
Preparation

How to prepare Piadina Romagnola (Romagna-style flat bread)

To make piadina romagnola, prepare the dough by mixing flour, salt 1, lard 2 and baking soda 3 in a bowl.

Start kneading and add the water in 3 parts 4, then transfer the mixture to the work surface 5 and continue to work until a uniform mixture is obtained. Form a ball, wrap it in a food bag and let it rest for 30 minutes 6.

After the resting time, remove the dough from the bag and shape it into a sausage 7, then divide it into 6 equal parts 8. Shape each part of the dough into a ball by kneading it for about 30 seconds so that it becomes smooth and even, then wrap them with a food bag again and let them rest for another 30 minutes 9.

After the rest time has elapsed, lightly flour the worktop 10 and roll out the balls with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/10" (2-3 mm) 11. Heat a plate very hot and in the meantime roll the flatbreads out further, then cup them with a 8 1/2" (22 cm) 12 diameter pasta cutter.

Now cook the flatbreads on one side for 2 minutes, turning them continuously with one hand to ensure even cooking 13, then flip them and cook them for 2 minutes on the other side 14, until they are slightly golden. Once cooked, stack your flatbreads on top of each other and stuff them while still warm 15!

Storage

The flatbreads can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for about 2 days. They can be frozen once cooked and left to cool.

Tips

Baking soda is not essential but makes the dough more fragrant. If you want to obtain a softer flatbread, replace some of the water with milk. For a vegetarian version, use 1/3 c (80 g) of extra virgin olive oil instead of lard. 

Interesting fact

The history of piadina romagnola is very ancient in origin and dates back no less than the Etruscan period. Thanks to the simplicity and versatility of its preparation, for many centuries piadina romagnola remained the meal of farmers and poor people who had to make do with the products of the land. Its real fortune began only in the 1940s and 1950s when it began to take over with the tourists along the streets leading to the sea thanks to the numerous kiosks that offered this fragrant goodness at a low price!