A lighter and quicker alternative to pizza but still as delicious
Diana Henry
The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
Published
An Italian flatbread (from Emilia-Romagna) that doesn’t use yeast so is very quick to make. It’s thinner and crisper than pizza but has the same scorched bread flavour and is mostly used as a wrap in Italy (you frequently see them with fillings in cafés).
Requires resting time for the dough
Overview
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Serves
4
to 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500g plain flour
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
To serve
- Sliced fontina or mozzarella
- Parma ham
- Tomatoes
- Fresh basil
Method
Step
Mix 500g plain flour with ½ tbsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt and then gradually add enough water to make a dough that is soft and a bit sticky.
Step
Add 2 tbsp olive oil then knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
Step
Divide the dough into four to six pieces and flatten each ball into a round to fit your griddle or frying pan, it should be about 3mm thick but can be quite misshapen. Prick each piadina all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up.
Step
Heat the griddle or frying pan until it is very hot, then cook each dough round on both sides. It is fine to have patches of lightly charred dough. Keep each piadina warm by wrapping it in a tea towel until you have cooked the others.
Step
Top with slices of fontina or mozzarella, slices of parma ham and tomatoes and basil leaves – whatever is right for the time of year.
Step
Fold the bread over, or roll it up, and serve.