Tigella

History

The tigella — also called crescentina — is a traditional flatbread from the Apennine hills of Emilia-Romagna, particularly around Modena. Historically baked between terracotta discs called 'tigelle' placed among hot embers, they were the everyday bread of mountain communities. Today they are cooked in special cast-iron presses and served split open at sagre (festivals), restaurants and street stalls, filled with a smear of pesto di lardo (lard with rosemary and garlic), sliced salumi and cheese. Small, satisfying and deeply Emilian, the tigella is one of Italy's great informal bites.

Ingredients

• Tigella flatbread (small round yeast-leavened flatbread)
• Pesto di lardo (lard blended with rosemary, garlic and Parmesan)
• Mortadella or prosciutto crudo
• Squacquerone or stracchino cheese
• Fresh rosemary

How to Make

1. 1Make the tigella dough: mix flour, water, yeast, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil into a soft dough. Let rise 1 hour.
2. 2Divide into small balls (about 60g each) and flatten into rounds about 8cm in diameter.
3. 3Cook in a tigella press or cast-iron pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
4. 4Split the hot tigella open.
5. 5Spread generously with pesto di lardo.
6. 6Fill with mortadella or prosciutto and a spoonful of squacquerone cheese.
7. 7Close and eat immediately while warm.

Known for it

• Trattoria AldinaVia Luigi Albinelli, 40, 41121 Modena MO, Italy