woman making cookies
Piadina is a kind of thin flatbread common in Italian cuisine. It is sometimes compared to pita bread and lavash. Traditionally, this type of bread is baked in food stalls and sold moments after being pulled from the grill and perhaps filled with sweet or savory fillings. This bread is made with a few simple ingredients, including salt, flour, and water. The dough mix also includes oil or lard, and sometimes a small amount of milk, which are important to hold the dough together before cooking.
Research into the culinary history of Italy and neighboring regions has revealed literary references to the piadina dating back to the 14th century. Traditionally, piadina was cooked in a teggia, which is a kind of terracotta dish. Today it is very common for piadina to be cooked on a hot plate or even in a flat-bottomed pan. Although the bread can be made at home, it is common for people to taste the piadina bought in the piadinerie, a term that refers to the kiosks where this type of bread is prepared and served.
Like other types of bread, piadina is very versatile in the flavors it can be paired with. Many people like to stuff it with savory ingredients like cured meats, cured meats, and cheeses. The term stuffing is used here to describe the act of covering the bread and then folding it in half, much in the same way that pitas and soft tacos are served after being stuffed. The cheeses for the piadina filling can be soft or hard and the savory ingredients that are appreciated in this type of bread can be combined, as in the case of sandwiches. In addition, like the sandwiches, the piadinas are consumed with the hands, without the need to use utensils.
There are also various sweet ingredients used to fill the piadina. One of those ingredients, a favorite of many piadina lovers, is a chocolate-like paste made from hazelnuts. Others like sweet ingredients like jams and jellies. Variations with the bread itself generally have to do with size and thickness. These variations may be regional or they may be preferences of the person making the bread.