Piadina Romagnola

About This Recipe

Piadina is the soul food of Romagna and San Marino — a thin, unleavened flatbread cooked on a hot griddle and eaten warm, folded around creamy squacquerone cheese, prosciutto, and peppery rocket. It is sold from roadside kiosks called piadinerie throughout the republic and is eaten standing up, wrapped in paper, as the perfect fast food.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 1 tspfine salt
• 0.5 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 3 tbsplard or olive oil
• 120 mlwarm water
• 200 gsquacquerone or cream cheese, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and lard. Add warm water gradually until a smooth, soft dough forms. Knead briefly and rest for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Divide and roll

   Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll each into a thin circle (2–3 mm) roughly 25 cm across.

3. 3

   Cook on the griddle

   Heat a dry cast-iron griddle or heavy pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Cook each piadina for 1.5–2 minutes per side until brown spots appear and it puffs slightly.

4. 4

   Fill

   While still hot, spread a quarter of the cheese over one half, top with a few slices of prosciutto and a handful of rocket.

5. 5

   Fold and serve

   Fold in half and eat immediately.

Variations

• •

  Fill with grilled vegetables and stracchino cheese for a vegetarian version.

• •

  Add fig jam and prosciutto for a sweet-savoury combination.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Unfilled piadine keep in an airtight bag for 1 day; reheat in a dry pan.

Frequently Asked Questions