Piadina Italian Flatbreads are a simple, quick and easy replacement for the humbled sliced-white lunchtime sandwich…
I freely admit that I am one of those English people who walks around markets while abroad, loudly exclaiming “Why can’t we get nice things like this back home?!”
Most people when they travel visit tourist hotspots and unwind around the pool. While I am known to do this on occasion, I much prefer popping into supermarkets and gazing into café windows. The ‘souvenirs’ I return home with are new recipe ideas, kitchen gadgets and cookbooks.
This summer, we went to Rapallo in the Liguria region of Italy – not far from Genoa and Portofino. What I hadn’t appreciated before we travelled was that area was a foodie paradise. Focaccia and Pesto are two of the native dishes born from the area – alongside the usual mixture of Italian fayre; gelato, fresh apricots, vibrant red tomatoes and local wines. It was a delicious holiday in every sense of the word.
One of the food souvenirs I brought home with me is the Piadina Italian flatbreads. The cafes of Rapallo are filled with focaccia and Piadina flatbread sandwiches – all bursting with salad leaves, local cheeses and cured meats. Not a sliced white loaf in sight.
The joy of Piadina Italian flatbreads is that it requires no special flours or yeast and can therefore go from mixing bowl to mouth in under 45 minutes. So next time you go to grab a lunchtime sandwich and find that the last of the Kingsmill vanished at breakfast, fear not. Grab a bag of flour and whip up a batch of these. You will not regret it…
For added Italian bite, why not follow up with a batch of my Ligurian Canestrelli Italian Lemon Shortbreads – another one of my Italian “souvenirs”…
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Piadina – Italian Flatbreads
- Prep Time: 35 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 Minutes
- Total Time: 39 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 500g plain flour
- 1 tsp salt flakes
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100g butter or lard (or 85ml of olive oil)
- 250ml warm water
Instructions
- Put the flour, salt and bicarb into a mixing bowl. Cube the fat and rub it into the flour using your fingers until you have fine bread crumbs – alternatively stir through the olive oil.
- Pour the warm water and mix until thoroughly combined. I like to do this in a freestanding mixer to take the labour out of it all – starting slow and turning up to full for 2-3 minutes until I have a smooth, cohesive ball of dough. If making by hand, bring the water and flour together and knead on a clean work surface for around 10 minutes.
- Cover and leave the dough for 30 minutes at room temperature. Finally, split into eight equal-sized portions (weighing roughly 100g each) and roll out on a lightly floured surface until they are about the same size as a lunch plate.
- Heat a dry large frying pan over a medium heat. No oil required here. When the pan is hot, carefully lay one round of dough in the pan. Cook for two minutes each side, popping any bubbles that form with a fork. The Piadina are ready when they are golden on each side.
- Best eaten while warm, fill half with the filling of your choice. I like to wipe a little mayonnaise mixed with some pesto over the Piadina before loading with rocket leaves, thick slices of mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes. Any leftovers should be wrapped and stored for up to a couple of days afterwards.
- Category: Baking, Bread
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: lunchtime, piadina, italian, flatbreads, easy recipes, easy bread recipe, quick lunch
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