Piadine (Italian flatbread)

After pizza and calzone, piadina is probably one of the most popular street foods in Italy. They are typical of Romagna and the ones I had when I travelled there long ago, are the best I had ever eaten.

The original recipe is made with pork lard therefore they are not vegan-friendly. However, more and more Italian ‘rosticcerie’ as well as supermarkets offer the veg-friendly version, made with olive oil.

Making piadine at home is so easy and the secret to have a super soft dough is to use a lot of olive oil and lukewarm water.

For the filling, just go with anything you have: I stuffed mine with hummus, kidney beans, tomatoes, fresh spinach and rocket from my allotment.

INGREDIENTS for 4 big piadine:

300g all-purpose flour

150ml lukewarm water

4 tbsp olive oil

A pinch of salt

A pinch of baking powder (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead the dough until soft and smooth. Divide it into 4 parts and give each a ball shape. Place them on a floured surface and leave them to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a damp tea towel.

Roll each piadina on a floured surface with a rolling pin until the dough is quite thin. Cook in a hot saucepan for 30 seconds on each side, making sure not to overcook the piadine otherwise they will lose softness.

Stack the piadine in a dish one on top of the other so the heat will keep them soft and enjoy with homemade hummus, beans, tofu, tempeh, fresh greens, pickles or vegan mayo.