The history and preparation of piadina
Piadina is a renowned food product belonging to Romagna, as well as one of the symbols of the entire region. Its popularity is so high as to make this food ubiquitous in the Romagna area: in fact, there are many piadinerias that prepare it by hand and sell it every day. Although the Romagna piadina is a product inextricably linked to the cuisine of Romagna, its notoriety is nowadays so widespread as to make its presence fixed in many bars in every area of Italy.
The origin of the piadina is uncertain. In fact, there are numerous theories that lead to the authentic preparation of piadina; despite the various doubts, we can assert with conviction that some testimonies related to this particular form of bread date back to the ancient Romans. These had inherited a recipe from the Etruscans, who made an ancient version of piadina, cooked on red-hot slabs. In ancient Rome, piadina was a delicacy destined to be consumed not only on the most prestigious occasions, but also by the less well-off sections of the population such as farmers, who enjoyed this simple and inexpensive food.
The Middle Ages saw a great promotion of piadina, the consumption of which was also favored by taxes on bread. In other words, piadina represented a very valid substitute for bread, given that it could be made with cereals that were not taxed at the time, such as spelt. During the twentieth century, piadina managed to attract attention with a dough prepared with corn flour, which combined with that of soft wheat constituted the recipe of the product. The 1940s and 1950s were decisive, as they saw the appearance of multiple kiosks on the Romagna coast offering handmade piadina to tourists. The success of the piadina was exceptional, so much so that a massive export to foreign countries such as the United States followed, which continues today.
To prepare a piadina, pour 300 g of 00 white flour into a container, adding salt, 10 ml of oil and a spoonful of previously melted lard. This phase is finally completed by pouring 100 ml of water on the dough. Once this step has been completed, it is necessary to mix everything vigorously and for several minutes, in order to obtain a homogeneous mixture of a circular shape. Finally, wrap the dough in a food bag and let it rest. After waiting for 30 minutes, divide it into different portions and then roll them out and roll them out with a rolling pin over a sheet of paper sprinkled with flour, until you obtain discs with a thickness of 2-3 mm.
At this point the dough will be ready to be cooked. An electric tortilla warmer or an electric or gas tortilla cooker, thanks to their great power and optimal dimensions, turn out to be particularly suitable tools for cooking your tortillas. With the help of these products you can let the wraps warm up on one side for about 2 minutes, thus allowing for even cooking and an exceptional result.
Once the piadina is browned, it will be immediately ready to be filled. The filling possibilities of the piadina are innumerable; classic ingredients include ham and herbs, cheeses or chocolate spreads. There is no unique way to make piadina: the thickness and the ingredients used to make it vary according to the place and your personal taste.
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