Gluten free Piadina Romagnola

Silvia Colloca's gluten-free take on Emilia-Romagna's flatbread. Cooked on a hot pan until it blisters, then folded around prosciutto cotto, stracciatella and marinated mushroom. Street food from Rimini, reworked so coeliacs can join in. Eat warm.

Piadina romagnola is the unleavened flatbread of the Romagna region (the eastern half of Emilia-Romagna), sold from streetside stands called piadinerie along the Adriatic coast from Rimini to Cervia. The traditional version is made with refined flour, lard or olive oil, salt and water; cooked on a hot terracotta or cast-iron griddle in under three minutes; eaten folded warm around cured meats, soft cheeses and grilled vegetables.

The gluten-free adaptation uses a pre-mixed gluten-free flour blend (Laucke Easy Bakers here, or any equivalent) that delivers the structural integrity of wheat flour without the gluten. The challenge with gluten-free flatbreads is that they tend to be brittle and crack when folded; the right flour mix and the right hydration solve the problem. Mix to a pancake-batter consistency rather than a stiff dough.

Prosciutto cotto (the Italian cooked ham, distinct from the air-cured prosciutto crudo) is the right filling. Soft, sweet, mildly salty, it folds easily inside the warm piadina without overwhelming the bread. Stracciatella adds the creamy cheese layer; marinated mushrooms add an earthy umami counterpoint. Roll, fold, eat warm. A cold Lambrusco alongside if you want to keep it Romagnan.