The piadina Romagnola flatbread is the apex of Italian street food. Ridiculously easy to make from scratch, it goes perfectly with a filling of pistachio pesto, mortadella, and stracchino (my favourite combo), or the classic prosciutto crudo, squacquerone, and rocket.
In a bowl, add 170 g 00 flour, 20 g lard, 3 g fine sea salt, and 3 g baking soda. Combine until the mixture is crumbly.
The traditional recipe calls for lard. For a vegan alternative, use vegetable shortening or a smaller amount of liquid fat like olive oil.
At this point, continue kneading while gradually adding 80 g water (warm). Make sure the water is fully absorbed and the dough does not stick before adding more.
Transfer the dough out of the bowl and continue to knead on your worktop until smooth.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with cling film, and it leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into equal portions and shape each into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll them into discs 2 or 3 mm thick.
Heat up a skillet. As soon as it’s hot, transfer one of the discs onto it and cook for 3 minutes. Rotate the piadina a few times using your hand, it should not be sticking to the pan. When done on one side, flip it and cook for another 2 minutes.
Transfer the piadina onto a plate and repeat the process for each of the remaining piadine.
Fill the piadina with your favourite ingredients, and serve it either folded (the traditional way) or rolled into a wrap.