This used to be the everyday bread in the Romagna region of Italy, but it is now popular all over Italy in sandwich bars, where it is usually filled, toasted and served warm.
Piadina (Italian flatbread)
Ingredients
- 10ml (2 tsp) instant dry yeast
- 60ml (¼ cup) water
- 500g cake flour, sieved
- salt, to taste
- 20ml (4 tsp) olive oil
- 300ml soda water
Instructions
Sprinkle the yeast over the water and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt and mix well.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture, olive oil and 150ml of the soda water. Mix well to form a moist dough, adding more soda water as needed.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a kitchen cloth. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Knock back and leave to rest for a further 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces and on a lightly floured surface roll each piece out to form a thick disc.
Heat a heavy-based, non-stick frying pan until very hot. Prick a piadina disc all over with a fork and fry until golden on both sides, turning frequently to avoid burning, for about 5 minutes. Repeat for the rest of the flatbreads. Stack the rounds as they are ready and cover with a kitchen cloth to keep soft and warm.
Serve with provolone, Parma ham and wild rocket.
