Chef Graziella
Arancini alla Siciliana
Golden fried rice balls from Sicily, where Arab culinary influence meets Italian home cooking. The saffron-perfumed rice conceals a heart of slow-simmered ragù and sweet peas.
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Piadina Romagnola con Squacquerone
Created by
The flatbread of my Adriatic coast, rolled thin and cooked on a scorching griddle, then folded around spreadable cheese and peppery arugula. This is what fishermen's wives made for lunch.
Appetizers & Snacks
Italian, Romagnol
Weeknight
Comfort Food
30 min
Active Time
20 min cook•50 min total
Yield8 piadine
Igrew up eating piadina in Cesenatico, my fishing village on the Adriatic. The women at the market stands would roll the dough impossibly thin, slap it onto a scorching testo, and fold it around whatever filling you wanted. We ate them standing up, the warm bread burning our fingertips, the cheese dripping down our wrists. This was not restaurant food. This was what you ate when you were hungry and had ten minutes.
The dough contains lard. I know this troubles some people. Use it anyway. The strutto gives piadina its characteristic flavor and tender crumb. Olive oil makes a different bread entirely, and not one any Romagnola would recognize. If you cannot eat lard, make something else. Do not make a compromised piadina and call it authentic.
Squacquerone is essential. The name means something like 'the cheese that runs away,' and that tells you everything about its texture. It spreads like very thick cream, mild and fresh, slightly tangy. When it meets warm bread, it softens further, melting into the arugula. Stracchino is an acceptable substitute if you cannot find squacquerone. Cream cheese is not.
Piadina dates to antiquity in Romagna, though the modern version emerged in the 19th century when white flour became affordable to peasants. For centuries it was food for the poor, made from whatever grain was available, cooked on terracotta disks called testi. Only in the late 20th century did piadina become romanticized as regional street food, with stands appearing in every beach town along the Adriatic.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
tipo 00 flour
Quantity
500g, plus more for rolling
lard (strutto)
Quantity
100g
at room temperature
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
baking soda
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
whole milk
Quantity
200ml
at room temperature
squacquerone cheese
Quantity
400g
wild arugula
Quantity
4 large handfuls
flaky sea salt
Quantity
for finishing
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| tipo 00 flour | 500g, plus more for rolling |
| lard (strutto)at room temperature | 100g |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon |
| baking soda | 1/2 teaspoon |
| whole milkat room temperature | 200ml |
| squacquerone cheese | 400g |
| wild arugula | 4 large handfuls |
| flaky sea salt | for finishing |
Equipment Needed
- •Large cast iron skillet or flat griddle
- •Rolling pin
- •Long spatula
- •Clean kitchen towels
Instructions
- 1
Make the dough
Mound the flour on your work surface and make a well in the center. Add the lard, salt, and baking soda to the well. Begin mixing with your fingertips, gradually incorporating flour from the inner walls. Add the milk in a slow stream, continuing to mix until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will feel slightly greasy from the lard. This is correct.
- 2
Knead until smooth
Knead the dough firmly for 8 to 10 minutes. Push with the heel of your hand, fold, rotate, repeat. The dough should become smooth, supple, and slightly elastic. It will never be as smooth as bread dough because of the fat content. Press your finger into the surface. It should spring back slowly. Wrap in plastic and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Do not skip the rest. The gluten must relax or you will fight the dough when rolling. Thirty minutes is minimum. One hour is better. - 3
Divide and shape
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, approximately 100 grams each. Roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. Cover with a clean towel to prevent drying.
- 4
Roll thin
On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a thin round approximately 25 centimeters across and 2 to 3 millimeters thick. The piadina should be thin enough that you can almost see the surface beneath, but sturdy enough to hold filling without tearing. Work quickly. If the dough resists, let it rest 5 minutes and return to it.
In Rimini, piadine are rolled paper-thin and pliable. Inland, toward Forlì, they are slightly thicker. Both are authentic. Roll to your preference, but err toward thin. - 5
Heat your griddle
Heat a large cast iron skillet or flat griddle over high heat until very hot. You should feel the heat rising when you hold your palm 10 centimeters above the surface. A drop of water should evaporate instantly. No fat is needed. The lard in the dough prevents sticking.
- 6
Cook the piadina
Lay one piadina on the hot surface. Within 30 seconds, bubbles will form and the underside will develop golden-brown spots. Flip using a long spatula or your fingers if you are brave. Cook the second side another 30 seconds until spotted and cooked through. The bread should remain pliable, not crisp. Remove to a clean towel.
Poke any large air bubbles with a fork as they form. A few small bubbles are characteristic, but large ones create uneven cooking. - 7
Fill immediately
While the piadina is still warm, spread 50 grams of squacquerone across half the surface. The cheese should begin to soften from the heat of the bread. Pile a handful of arugula over the cheese. Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt. Fold the piadina in half, pressing gently to close.
- 8
Serve at once
Piadina waits for no one. Serve immediately while the bread is warm and pliable, the cheese soft and yielding, the arugula still fresh and peppery. Once it cools, the bread stiffens and the magic is lost. Eat standing up if you must. That is how we do it in Romagna.
Chef Tips
- •Squacquerone is increasingly available at Italian specialty shops and cheese counters. If you cannot find it, stracchino has similar texture and tang. Crescenza works in desperation. Do not substitute ricotta or cream cheese, which have entirely different textures.
- •Lard from a good butcher or Italian market has clean flavor. The commercial blocks sold in supermarkets work adequately. If you keep kosher or halal, this recipe is simply not for you. Make focaccia instead.
- •A traditional testo is a flat terracotta disk, but cast iron works beautifully. Whatever you use, it must be scorching hot. The piadina should cook in under a minute per side.
- •The dough freezes well. Roll the piadine, stack between sheets of parchment, and freeze. Cook directly from frozen, adding 15 seconds per side.
Advance Preparation
- •The dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
- •Rolled piadine can be stacked between parchment and refrigerated for several hours before cooking.
- •Once cooked, piadine must be filled and eaten immediately. There is no making ahead. This is the nature of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 160g)
Calories
485 calories
Total Fat
24 g
Saturated Fat
11 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
625 mg
Total Carbohydrates
50 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
15 g
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