Piadina: Italian Bread Recipe

The piadina, an Italian flatbread, is so easy to make that there’s no excuse not to make them at home.  I first had a taste of piadina on my first trip to Senigallia a few years ago and my first thought were that they were like tortilla.

Since then, we always get a piadina when we are in Senegallia.  However, piadina is not originally from Marche but Emilia-Romagna. Here is a explanation and brief history of the piadina.

Recently, we have been buying piadina from the supermarket as you could just fill them up with just about everything.  An easy lunch especially when you are on the run. The classic fillings are vegetables, cheese and cold cuts.

As I have been doing more regularly, I was interested to see if I can make them myself.  I checked out a few recipes and was surprised at how simple and easy it is.  I adapted the recipe below from the following sources.

https://www.sagreinromagna.it/piadina.asp

https://buoneforchette.canalblog.com/archives/2005/07/22/671166.html

https://www.misya.info/2007/10/23/piadina.htm

While the authentic recipe calls for lard (strutto), I chose to use olive oil as a substitute.  I also experimented to see if the dough stores well to be used a few days later.  I am happy to report that it does and this saves me a lot of time.

Piadina – Ingredients

400gram of flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
100ml water
100ml milk
12 grams of salt
a pinch or two of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Instructions

1. Create a well with the flour and add the other ingredients.

2. Mix with a fork and then with your hands for 4-5 minutes until you get a homogenous dough.

3. Form smaller balls depending on the size of your non-stick pan.  For example, using a 28cm/11 inch pan, I formed smaller balls weighing between 75-80 grams. While forming them, I also kneaded the dough a touch more to make sure it wasn’t too lumpy.

4. In the meantime, place your non-stick pan over a medium flame and make sure it is hot before cooking the piadina.

5. Roll each ball out into a circular shape (doesn’t have to be perfect!).

6. Cook about 1-2 minutes per side.  If you see bubbles forming, just poke them with the fork.

7. The piadina doesn’t have to be completely browned.  It will just have spots of brown.

Notes:

1.  I was able to form 8 balls of dough with the above ingredients.

2. You can easily half or double the recipe.  It works well either way.

3. As mentioned, I also experimented by forming the smaller balls and wrapping them up with saran wrap.   They kept well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

4. Another experiment I tried was rolling them out, putting them between baking paper and kept them in the fridge. That worked too but if you can, it was better to just roll them out the day you need them! It doesn’t require a lot of time to roll them out at all.

5.If you do store them in the fridge, take them out 10-15 minutes earlier before rolling them out.

It almost seems like a fail-proof  recipe and my sister-in-law mentioned that her husband makes piadina when they run out of bread at home.

The piadina is delicious served plain or filled.  You’ve just got to try making piadina to see how easy and delicious it is!