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Crescione
Folded filled flatbread
Crescione: Romagna's folded piadina filled with tomato, mozzarella and greens
ItalianAlong the Romagna coast, in Rimini, Cesena and Riccione, every piadina kiosk also sells crescioni (called cassoni in some towns): a thin disc of piadina dough folded in half over a filling and sealed into a half-moon, then cooked on a hot griddle. The classic fillings are tomato and mozzarella, or wild greens and potato, eaten as a beach lunch or a late snack. Piadina dough is traditionally made with pork lard; this vegetarian version uses olive oil. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: seal the edges with a fork and cook on a medium heat, not high; the dough needs time to cook through before it burns.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz plain flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the filling
- 10 ½ oz spinach or chard
- 1 clove garlicsliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp passata
- 7 oz mozzarella or a vegetarian alternativediced and drained
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, then add ¼ cup olive oil, ¾ cup warm water and 2 tbsp milk and knead for 5 minutes into a soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Cook 10 ½ oz spinach or chard with 1 clove garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil for 4 minutes, until wilted, then drain, squeeze dry and season with ½ tsp salt.
4 minStep 3: Divide the dough into four and roll each into a thin 25 cm circle.
Step 4: Spread one half of each with 4 tbsp passata, then add the spinach and 7 oz mozzarella or a vegetarian alternative, leaving a 2 cm edge. Fold over and press the edges with a fork to seal. Common mistake: overfilling; the crescione bursts on the griddle.
Step 5: Cook in a heavy dry frying pan over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes on each side, pricking any big bubbles, until spotted brown and the cheese has melted.
10 minStep 6: Serve hot, cut in half.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 570 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does crescione take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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