Crescia Sfogliata | Flaky Italian Flatbread Recipe

This Italian flatbread variation is analogous in look to the traditional Piadina Romagnola… however appearances might be deceiving! Its distinctive methodology of preparation provides the flatbread an exquisite, flaky texture, and the addition of a beneficiant quantity of black pepper leads to a definite, spicy style.

What Makes This Flatbread Totally different?

The dough is definitely flattened twice. The primary time, it’s unfold with a little bit little bit of lard then rolled up like a carpet. When the dough is then flattened once more and cooked, these layers separate barely (sort of like puff pastry) which leads to the flaky texture of crescia sfogliata. In reality, the phrase “sfogliata” actually means “flaky.”

The elements additionally make a distinction. With the addition of egg, milk, olive oil and loads of pepper, crescia sfogliata has a really daring style. This implies it’s actually yummy to eat even by itself!

Ideas for Making the Greatest Flatbread

Crescia sfogliata may be very straightforward to make, nevertheless it does take a while because the dough ought to relaxation within the fridge for at the very least 5 hours, ideally in a single day.

There’s no correct quantity of milk so as to add into the dough, as this relies vastly on the flour used, the humidity, and so on. The one method to make a superb dough is so as to add a little bit little bit of milk at a time, till you obtain a dough texture that’s tender, moldable, however not sticky. As a result of it’s a fats dough, it received’t be springy. If you push a finger in, the indentation ought to stay.

Tips on how to Serve & Eat Crescia Sfogliata Flatbread

As talked about above, it’s scrumptious eaten simply as it’s. In Italy, it’s often crammed like a sandwich. You’ll be able to actually put something you desire to between two items. We actually loved making an expansion with ricotta, pesto, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, complimented with some cherry tomatoes.

Storing & Saving Piadina

As soon as cooked, crescia sfogliata might be saved in a plastic bag for a number of days. Don’t maintain it in paper, it’s going to dry out fully. We suggest reheating it in a pan or heat oven earlier than consuming, if potential! For longer storage, the cooked flatbread might be frozen.

Watch the Pasta Grammar video the place we make Crescia Sfogliata right here:

CRESCIA SFOGLIATA RECIPE

Makes: 6 10-inch flatbreads

Cook dinner Time: 1 hour and half-hour, plus at the very least 5 hours of unattended resting time

For this recipe, you will have:

• 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting

• 4 tsp (20g) salt

• 2 tsp contemporary black pepper, or to style

• 4 tbsp (50g) additional virgin olive oil

• Complete milk (roughly 1 1/3 cup or 320ml, see above and have additional available)

• 1 giant egg

• Lard as wanted (roughly 3-4 tbsp)

• Mixing bowl

• Fork

• Bench scraper or knife

• Kitchen scale (non-obligatory)

• Spoon (non-obligatory)

• Plastic wrap

• Rolling pin

• Giant non-stick skillet or flat griddle

• Spatula

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper collectively. Pour the combination right into a pile on a big work floor. Use your hand to kind a hole within the middle of the pile, like a volcano. Into this hole, add the olive oil and pour a small quantity of milk. Whisk the egg individually and add this as effectively.

Whisk the egg/milk/olive oil along with a fork whereas steadily incorporating the encompassing flour. As a thick paste begins to kind, steadily pour a little bit bit extra milk in at a time and work it in with the fork. As soon as the paste thickens into extra of a dough, begin folding in the remainder of the flour by hand and kneading it.

Proceed pouring a little bit extra milk at a time onto the dough and kneading it in. Cease including milk when the entire flour is included and the dough is tender and silky, however not sticky. If it does grow to be sticky, mud with a little bit little bit of flour as obligatory.

Cowl the dough with a bowl and let it relaxation at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Then, knead it once more for a couple of minutes or till the dough turns into easy and even. Roll it right into a thick sausage form beneath your palms, and reduce the dough into 6 equal parts utilizing a bench scraper or knife. You probably have one useful, you should utilize a kitchen scale to weigh the items in order that they’re all the identical dimension.

Work on one piece of dough at a time and maintain the others coated with a bowl in order that they don’t dry out. Use a rolling pin to roll one portion of dough into a big circle, about 10-inches (25cm) in diameter. If the dough sticks to your work floor or rolling pin, you possibly can mud it very flippantly with flour however accomplish that provided that obligatory and attempt to maintain the added flour to a minimal.

Use a spoon or your fingers to unfold a really skinny layer of lard over the whole prime floor of the dough. Then, ranging from one aspect, tightly roll the dough sheet up like a carpet. Rub the surface of this tube with one other skinny layer of lard. Lastly, roll the tube horizontally into a decent spiral—it ought to appear to be a cinnamon roll.

Wrap the roll in plastic and place within the fridge. Repeat the above steps to make rolls from the remainder of the dough parts. Allow them to relaxation within the fridge for at the very least 5 hours, ideally in a single day.

If you’re able to cook dinner, place a big non-stick skillet to preheat over excessive warmth. When the pan is sizzling, flip the warmth down barely to medium/excessive.

From chilly, unwrap a dough portion and roll it out flat once more with a rolling pin. It must be the identical dimension as earlier than, about 10-inches in diameter. Rigorously lay the dough flat within the pan and cook dinner for 1 minute. Flip it with a spatula and cook dinner one other minute.

Proceed to flip the flatbread, cooking for a minute, for about 3 occasions per aspect or till it begins to brown deeply in spots. Take away from the warmth. Repeat the steps to cook dinner the remaining flatbreads.

Buon appetito!

Need to attempt a primary piadina flatbread? Take a look at our recipe right here! Searching for extra pepper goodness? Give this Tuscan pepper beef stew a attempt!