Tigella Emilian Flatbread

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Tigella are small, round flatbreads from the Modenese Apennines in Emilia-Romagna, traditionally cooked in a special terracotta or cast iron pan called a tigelliera. The dough is enriched with lard for a tender crumb and a faintly crisp crust, and the breads are split open and stuffed with cured meats, soft cheeses, or sweet spreads.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 510 kcalCalories
• 20 gFat
• 8 gSaturated Fat
• 68 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 8 gSugar
• 14 gProtein
• 640 mgSodium
• 210 mgPotassium
• 90 mgCalcium
• 4.5 mgIron
• 0 mgVitamin C
• 55 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 200 ml warm water (about 38°C)
• 50 g lard (or softened butter)
• 7 g active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 120 ml whole milk, room temperature

For serving (traditional accompaniments)

• 150 g squacquerone or stracchino cheese
• 80 g mortadella, thinly sliced
• 80 g salame, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons honey or fig jam
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 to 8 minutes until foamy.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the lard and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
3. Pour in the yeast mixture and the milk, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft, and elastic. Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Punch down the dough and roll it out to about 7 mm thick. Using a 7 cm round cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut out rounds; re-roll scraps once. You should get about 12 tigelle.
6. Heat a tigelliera, cast iron skillet, or heavy nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Place 3 to 4 rounds in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden spots appear and the bread is cooked through and puffed.
7. Keep cooked tigelle warm in a clean kitchen towel while you cook the remaining rounds.
8. To serve, split each warm tigella in half horizontally with a serrated knife or kitchen scissors; they should pull apart easily thanks to their natural seam.
9. Fill with a smear of squacquerone and a few slices of mortadella or salame, or brush with olive oil and top with honey or jam. Eat immediately while still warm.

Cook’s Notes

• A true tigelliera gives the most authentic result, but a heavy cast iron skillet with a tight-fitting lid works well; flip the breads carefully with a thin spatula.
• For a lighter, more modern version, replace the lard with the same amount of extra-virgin olive oil.
• Tigelle are best eaten the day they are made, but cooled leftovers can be split, misted with water, and reheated in a hot pan for 1 minute per side.
• Slow the rise in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 12 hours) for a more complex, slightly tangy flavor.
• If you cannot find squacquerone, fresh stracchino, robiola, or even a mild brie make excellent substitutes.

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