Piadina Romagnola with Ham and Rocket

Ingredients

• 300 g wheat flour
• 60 g lard, at room temperature
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ dl water, lukewarm
• 150 g ham, thinly sliced
• 150 g mozzarella, drained and thinly sliced
• 60 g arugula
• 2 tomato, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. 1.

   Knead the lard dough — Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, add the lard and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand. Pour in the lukewarm water and bring it together, then knead on the worktop for 5 minutes into a soft, smooth, non-sticky dough.

2. 2.

   Relax the gluten — Wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten so the piadine roll out thin without springing back.

3. 3.

   Roll out thin rounds — Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each one out on a lightly floured surface into a round about 24 cm across and 3 mm thick. Keep them under a cloth so they do not dry out.

4. 4.

   Blister on a dry griddle — Heat a heavy dry frying pan or flat griddle over medium-high heat and cook the piadine one at a time for about 1 minute a side, pricking any large bubbles with a fork and turning twice. They are done when speckled with small toasted brown spots but still flexible.

5. 5.

   Fill while warm — While each piadina is still warm, lay the ham and mozzarella over one half so the cheese softens against the bread, then add the sliced tomato and a handful of rocket and drizzle with olive oil.

6. 6.

   Fold and wrap for the box — Fold each piadina over into a half moon and press it flat, then roll it tightly in greaseproof paper twisted at one end. Eat at once, or let it cool completely before packing so the bread does not go soggy in the box.