Modenese Griddle Breads

Ingredients

• 500 g All-purpose flour
• 250 ml Milk
• 50 g Lard
• 12 g Yeast
• 10 g Salt
• 30 ml Water
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 sprig Rosemary

Steps

1. Crumble the fresh yeast into the lukewarm milk and stir until dissolved.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour and salt.
3. Pour in the milk with the yeast and add the soft lard at room temperature.
4. Knead vigorously by hand for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth, soft and elastic dough, adding a little lukewarm water only if it feels dry.
5. Shape into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least 4 hours, until tripled in volume.
6. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a thickness of just under 1 cm.
7. With an 8 cm round cutter, cut out the discs, gather the scraps, roll again and cut more; let the discs rest covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Heat a heavy non-stick pan or a cast-iron tigelliera very well over moderate heat.
9. Cook the tigelle a few at a time, covered with a lid, for 4 to 5 minutes per side until lightly golden and blistered.
10. Meanwhile prepare the cunza: chop the lard with garlic and rosemary to a paste and season with a pinch of salt.
11. Serve the tigelle hot, split them open and fill with the cunza, cured meats and squacquerone cheese.

Tips

• A real tigelliera (clay or cast-iron griddle) gives the classic embossed rosette pattern, but a heavy non-stick pan with a lid works well. Keep the heat moderate so the inside cooks through before the surface browns too fast. Serve while hot and soft; reheat briefly in a dry pan if needed.