Piadina Filled with Tomato, Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella
It’s only the beginning of June and here in Toronto we are already in the midst of a heat warning !
With this crazy hot, humid weather I needed something for dinner that was light, and quick and easy to make, that didn’t require standing over a hot stove or grill for any length of time.
I knew just the thing. Piadina, an Italian flatbread, filled with prosciutto, sliced tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. Simple to make, they only take a few minutes on a griddle or skillet on the stove.
Piadina make an easy, tasty lunch or snack, or serve with a simple green salad for a light dinner. It’s the perfect dish when it’s almost too hot to cook!
What is a Piadina?
La Piadina is an Italian flat bread from the Emilia-Romagna region made with an easy, yeast free dough. Traditionally Piadina were cooked on a terracotta dish, but you can make it at home on a griddle, or in a cast iron skillet on the stove, or even a regular frying pan will work.
The Filling
I’ve kept it simple, prosciutto, sliced tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella for my piadina, but they can be filled with anything you like. Swap out the prosciutto and mozzarella for your favorite cold meat, and cheese, or try sliced tomatoes, tuna and mayonnaise or grilled vegetables, anything goes! You can even make a sweet version with Nutella and fruit.
The Dough
The dough can be made with lard, shortening or olive oil. For the liquid you can use milk or water or a combination of the two.
I like to use olive oil instead of lard or shortening for my piadina dough. For the liquid I use equal amounts of warm water and milk. I end up with a nice, supple soft dough that is easy to work with.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
The Flatbread Dough
- 1½ cups all purpose flour (plus extra for dusting your work surface)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup room temperature milk
- ¼ cup warm water
The Filling
- ½ cup Fresh Basil
- 8 slices tomato
- 125 grams Fresh Mozzarella cut into 8 slices
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices prosciutto
Instructions
- Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and stir well to mix together.
- Mix the warm water milk and olive oil together. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the liquid mixture. Using your hand, or a fork, mix everything together until it forms a soft, but not sticky dough. If needed, add a little more water to help the dough come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is a soft, smooth ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat a griddle or a large cast iron skillet or frying pan on the stove over med- heat. Divide the dough in four and roll each piece into a thin round shape. Remember this is a rustic flatbread so they don’t need to be perfectly round!
- Cook the flatbread one at a time for 2-3 minutes per side, pricking any bubbles that form with a fork. The Flatbreads should be lightly golden, but still pliable.
- Place a slice of prosciutto and two tomato slices on one half of the flatbread. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Next, add 2 slices of the fresh mozzarella and top with some fresh basil. Fold the other half of the flatbread over to form a half-moon. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads
- Heat on the griddle or skillet for 1-2 minutes until the fillings are warm and the cheese is slightly melted. Serve while hot, with a simple green salad on the side.