Stuffed flatbreads (crescioni of Romagna)
Stuffed flatbreads folded into a half-moon shape and cooked on a griddle
Servings 6 serves
Equipment
- rolling pin and non-stick baking tray
Ingredients
Crescioni's dough
- 500 g of all-purpose flour, or type 0 or type 1
- 50 g of lard or 40 g olive oil or 40 g olive oil
- 10 g of fine salt
- 2 g of baking soda or 1 g baking powder for pizza
- 250 ml lukewarm water or milk if you prefer a softer, more fragrant dough
Filling
- 500 g of spinach or Swiss chard, cooked and squeezed dry
- 200 g of cow's milk ricotta cheese, drained
- 20 g of grated Parmigiano
- 20 g of olive oil and salt to taste
Instructions
Crescioni's dough
- In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast, form a crater in the center, and add the lard or olive oil. Sprinkle salt around the edges. You can make the dough on a cutting board or using a stand mixer.
- Start pouring the water into the crater a little at a time, mixing with a fork to incorporate the flour.
- When you have added all the water, transfer the mixture to a chopping board and knead by hand for 3 minutes or until well blended and no longer sticky.
- Using a pasta cutter or knife, cut the dough into balls of equal weight (for small crescioni to be used as appetizers, snacks, or aperitifs, about 70 g; for large crescioni to be served as a meal, about 150 g each).
- Let rest for 30 minutes, covered with a clean cloth. This is not a true rising but a resting period. In the meantime, make the filling.
Filling
- Chop the cooked and drained herbs with a knife.
- Pour the oil into a pan, add the herbs, and season with a bit of salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring over low heat.
- Turn off the heat, add the ricotta and Parmesan cheese, and stir until well combined. Set aside.
Crescioni
- On a cutting board, roll out one ball at a time into an oval or round shape (or however you like) about 3 mm thick.
- Prick the surface of the piadina with the tines of a fork. Spread a little filling on half of the disc, fold the crescione over itself to form a half-moon shape, and seal the edges with a fork.
- Cook on a hot, non-stick griddle for 3 minutes on each side, turning them so that the narrow, long side of the fold is also cooked (two minutes is sufficient). The crescione is ready when it has taken on its typical golden-brown color.
Tips
- Reheat in the oven or on a griddle.
- Store in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to a month.
- You can use any filling you like, but be cautious with cheeses such as mozzarella (which can release liquid) or liquid ingredients like tomato sauce, as this could compromise the cooking of the crescioni.