Summer Grilling—Piadina with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Ricotta

I’m having a little obsession with piadinas right now.  Pronounced pea-ah-DEE-nah, this Italian thin flatbread comes from the Romagna region of north-central Italy.  It’s a delicious version of Italian street food.  It can be stuffed with any kind of Italian meats and cheeses or served as a flatbread.  It’s a lot like a pizza, except that this isn’t a rising crust.  I love how incredibly easy it is to work with and the variations are endless.  These grill up in no time—they have a great smoky flavor and crunchy crust.  My version below includes prosciutto, fontina, basil, and ricotta.

Summer Entertaining—Piadina with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Ricotta

• Author: Tonja Engen

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 1 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• salt and pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups fontina cheese, shredded
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, mortadella, or salami, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped

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Instructions

1. In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook combine the flour, baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add 3/4 cup of water until the mixture forms a dough around the hook. Increase the speed to medium and knead until smooth, 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, shape into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Rest at room temp for 30 minutes
2. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough into a 10-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Brush both sides with the extra-virgin olive oil and grill turning once until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes total.
3. Remove the piadina from the grill to cool slightly. Combine the ricotta cheese and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread each piadina with 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle the fontina cheese evenly over the ricotta cheese. Arrange 2 prosciutto or other meat slices on top of the cheeses. Cut each piadina into wedges and garnish with chopped basil. Serve warm.

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