Modena-style mini flatbreads (tigelle)

Just a few simple ingredients create these flatbreads, which hail from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna. Stuff the crisp, warm crusts with cheese, sliced meat or my mortadella mousse.

Tigelle can be made in a special decorative iron, or simply pan-fried Credit: Bonacini's Italy

• makes

  16

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Tigelle – also called crescentine - are usually eaten as handheld snacks or as part of an antipasto platter. If you can’t find a tigelle press, then you can pan fry your risen tigelle dough in a pan on top of the stove.

Ingredients

• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp (10 ml) sugar
• ½ cup (125 ml) lukewarm water
• 8 cups plain flour, plus more if needed
• ¼ cup (60 ml) lard
• ¼ cup (60 ml) butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (180 ml) milk, plus more if needed
• 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
• Cooking oil, for spraying

To serve

• Sliced cured meat
• Shaved Parmesan
• Mortadella mousse (see recipe)

Rising time: 1½-2 hours + 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Place active dry yeast and sugar in a small bowl with the lukewarm water and stir. Set aside to bloom for 5-10 minutes.

2. Add flour to a stand mixer fitted with a hook, then create a well in the flour. Add lard, butter, milk and salt to the well and turn machine on low. Slowly add yeast mixture to bowl as machine mixes, adding extra flour or milk if dough starts getting too sticky or too dry. When dough is supple and elastic, transfer to a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball. Cover dough with a damp dishcloth and set aside to rise for 1½ - 2 hours.

3. Roll dough out to 1.25 cm (½-inch) thickness and then cut into 10cm (4 in) circles. Cover circles with dishcloth and let rise for another 30 minutes.

4. Spray skillet or tigelle press with cooking oil and place over medium heat until hot. If using a press, place circles of dough into rounds of press so they sit evenly, then close lid. Keep press over heat for 4 minutes, then flip and cook other side for 4 minutes, checking to see if both sides are golden, and if the tigelle are cooked through. If not, flip again and keep over heat, flipping as needed.  If you are cooking in a skillet, weigh the top of the tigelle down with a plate so they keep their form, and fry until both sides are golden brown, flipping as needed.

5. Serve hot with a platter of sliced cured meat, shaved Parmesan, and mortadella mousse (see recipe). Buon appetito!

Note

• Tigelle presses (for use with gas cook tops) are available from Costante Imports.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Tigelle – also called crescentine - are usually eaten as handheld snacks or as part of an antipasto platter. If you can’t find a tigelle press, then you can pan fry your risen tigelle dough in a pan on top of the stove.