Torta al Testo con Prosciutto

The first useful thing to know about Italian cooking is that, as such, it actually doesn't exist. What exists are the regional cuisines of Italy, each with its own traditions, ingredients, and griddle breads. In Umbria, they make torta al testo, cooked on a terracotta or cast iron disc called a testo that has been passed down through families for generations.

This is not focaccia. It is not pizza bianca. It is something older and simpler: flour, water, salt, and heat. The baking soda gives a slight lift, though traditionally the bread was unleavened and cooked over embers. Shepherds carried the testo into the hills and made this bread over open fires, filling it with whatever they had: wild greens, sausage, cheese.

The prosciutto filling is Umbrian restraint made visible. A few slices of good prosciutto, draped inside warm bread. Nothing else. The fat softens against the heat. The salt of the meat meets the char of the crust. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.