L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES LETIZIA MATTIACCI I taly has a rich and diverse culture of bread which is not limited to pizza and f o c a c c i a o r t o t h e tasteless rolls on offer at your average trattoria. Most breads are unique to each region and sometime sea- sonal. Sardinia offers thin pane carasau, also called "music paper" bread; robust A l t a m u r a i s a s t a p l e i n Puglia; Ferrara is famous f o r t h e " c o p p i a " b r e a d made with flour, lard, malt, a n d o l i v e o i l i n a p r e t t y twisted shape. The list is endless. I f y o u v i s i t a r e g i o n known for a certain bread a n d w i s h t o t a s t e i t , y o u m u s t f i n d o u t w h a t ' s o n o f f e r a t t h a t t i m e o f t h e year. Also it might be worth to investigate which one is the best bakery in town and i f n e e d e d , w h i c h b u t c h e r h a s t h e b e s t c h a r c u t e r i e . The supermarket is general- ly not a good source of arti- san bread or top quality cold cuts and cheese. Also named crescia, the torta al testo flatbread is one of the most traditional U m b r i a n p e a s a n t f o o d s , probably of Roman origin. This savory "torta" is not dissimilar to the piadina from Romagna and not far off from a Mexican wheat tortilla, but thicker. In the past, the torta was unleavened and cooked on a stone, the "testo," placed over hot coals in the fire- place, like a chapati. This was a practical solution to obtain fresh bread on a daily basis. Farmers only made l e a v e n e d b r e a d o n c e o r twice a fortnight, as firing a wood oven was time-con- s u m i n g a n d m o r e w o r k ; t h e y n e e d e d t o c o n s e r v e their energy for working in the fields. The torta al testo is still prepared in many Umbrian h o m e s u s i n g a c a s t i r o n plate on the stove top. It is o f t e n s e r v e d a l o n g s i d e a platter of antipasto or with chicken alla cacciatora or stuffed with our delicious prosciutto from Norcia. My v e r s i o n i s e n r i c h e d w i t h y e a s t , e g g s a n d a s m a l l amount of cheese. You can omit the cheese and eggs, if you wish, and increase the amount of water instead. Ingredients • 2 g r ( 1 / 2 t e a s p o o n ) active dry yeast • 3 0 0 g r ( 1 0 o z ) p l a i n flour or white stone- ground flour • 1 egg • 2 t a b l e s p o o n s g r a t e d P a r m e s a n o r p e c o r i n o cheese • 200 ml (3/4 cup) water • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon sugar • 1 tablespoon extra-vir- gin olive oil Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir to dis- solve. In a food processor, combine the flour, cheese, olive oil, sugar and salt. Mix briefly. First, add the egg and then the yeast mixture. Mix again until a soft ball of dough forms. Add a little additional warm water if the dough is still dry and does not form a ball. A l t e r n a t i v e l y , m i x t h e i n g r e d i e n t s b y h a n d i n a large bowl, then turn the d o u g h o u t o n t o a l i g h t l y floured surface and knead f o r a b o u t 1 0 m i n u t e s , adding more flour to pre- v e n t s t i c k i n g , u n t i l t h e dough is smooth and elastic. P l a c e t h e d o u g h i n a n oiled bowl and cover first with clingfilm and then with a tea towel. Leave in a draft- free place until the dough h a s r i s e n a n d d o u b l e d i n size. This will take 2-3 hours in winter. Heat a cast iron skillet (you can also use a Mexican comal or Tava grid- dle) to a medium heat. Do not grease it. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, and stretch the dough with your hands until it is about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Place the flat- tened dough on to the skillet a n d p i e r c e w i t h a f o r k t o prevent air bubbles. If the dough is too soft, transfer it to the skillet first and then, with wet hands, stretch it quickly to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook slowly for about 45 minutes until dry and lightly golden on both sides, turn- ing over 3 to 4 times. Cut into wedges and keep it in a cotton tea towel until r e a d y t o s e r v e . F i l l t h e wedges with cured meats or grilled sausages and cooked greens like spinach, swiss chard, chicory or rapini. Serves 4 L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m - pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in Mrs. Mattiacci cookbook entitled "A Kitchen with a view." Delicious torta al testo is perfect served with cold cuts (Photo: Letizia Mattiacci) Torta al testo: an Umbrian skillet bread

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