Tigelle
Italian flatbreads cooked in a pan. They are small, soft, fluffy, ideal for mini sandwiches.
In Italy, these breads are baked in a special mold pan called a tigelliera. The advantage of such a pan is that they bake evenly on both sides and sometimes have patterns that stay imprinted on them and are sooo cute. You'd want to eat them on the spot! However, last night I managed quite well without a tigelliera, just with a simple non-stick pan.
These breads are specific to the mountain region of Modena. Traditionally, these breads were served with Modenese pesto (cunza) - a paste made from lard (lardo), garlic and rosemary - and sprinkled with grated parmesan. In Bologna, however, I discovered them spread with cream cheese and filled with mortadella or prosciutto, and that's how I served them last night.
Ingredients
350g all-purpose flour type BL55/550
50g all-purpose flour type 480
125ml warm milk
100ml warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 packet dry yeast
1 tablespoon oil
25g lard (pork or duck)
1 heaping teaspoon salt
Pieces: 16
How to prepare tigelle
- Mix the milk with water and sugar. Add the yeast and let it sit in a warm place until it foams on top.
- Knead with the remaining ingredients (except salt) for 5 minutes in a stand mixer (or bread machine).
- Dissolve the salt in 1-2 tablespoons of water and pour over the dough. Continue kneading for another 5 minutes in the mixer. The result will be a soft and elastic dough.
- Put the dough in a bowl greased with oil and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Fold the dough in 4 directly in the bowl and let it rise for another 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough into a 1 cm thick sheet on a floured work surface. With an 8 cm pastry ring (or a glass) cut out discs.
The remaining edges after cutting are kneaded and re-rolled, then cut into discs. - Arrange the discs in 2 baking trays. Put the trays in plastic bags and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan well. Place discs in the pan without crowding them. Cook covered for about 3 minutes per side (until golden and if you tap them they sound hollow).
- Remove the breads onto a platter and keep them covered.
- Use them for sandwiches (count 3-4 tigelle per person): I cut them in half, spread one side with stracchino (cream cheese) and filled them with a slice of mortadella each. Just like in Bologna at Osteria dell'Orsa.
Dough after first rise
Dough on the work surface
Dough rolled out and cut
Discs in tray left to rise
Cooking the breads in the pan
Tigelle
