This is the most classic of the traditional specialties of Romagna.
Once, it was cooked on the testo (or teggia): a round, flat griddle with a slightly raised rim, made of terracotta or refractory stone, placed directly over the hot embers. Today, the testo is generally replaced by a normal iron griddle.
Giovanni Pascoli, in his collection Nuovi poemetti, dedicated a poem to this food, “La Piada”:
My poor heap burns and already shines: slowly I place upon two bricks the black griddle of porous clay. Maria, into the flour you pour the water and add the salt, a gift from You, God; but think! man sells me what You freely give. You fill the seas with it, yet man measures it on his trembling scales: the plains you season with it, but it is scarce on the table. But you, Maria, with your gentle hands tame the dough, then spread and roll it out; and behold, it is smooth as a sheet of paper, as large as the moon; and upon your open hands you bring it to me, and lay it soft upon the hot griddle, then step away. I turn it, and stoke with tongs the fire beneath, until it crackles, seized by the gentle heat, and swells with bubbles: and the scent of bread fills the house.
Ingredients and Preparation
- 1 kg flour
- 200 g lard
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- just under 1 tablespoon salt
- yeast for 1 kg
- warm water or milk
Place the flour on a pastry board, put the lard and oil in the center, and knead while gradually adding the warm water or milk (in which the salt has previously been dissolved) until you obtain a rather soft dough.
Knead well and let it rest for a while, then divide it into small balls about the size of a lemon, and roll them out into disks no thicker than half a centimeter. Heat the griddle until very hot, lower the flame, and begin cooking the disks, pricking them with a fork. Let them cook well, first on one side, then on the other.
Keep the flatbreads warm by covering them with a cloth.
Piadina can be enjoyed on its own, with squacquerone cheese, filled with herbs, with cured meats, and in many other ways.
