Homemade piada flatbread stuffed with tomatoes, avocado and mozzarella on a wooden board

Guys! I made bread! From scratch! Only flatbreads, mind – I still consider baking with yeast to be my #1 fear in life – but still, homemade bread! These homemade piada really couldn’t be easier to make – if I can make them successfully, anyone can.

If you’re not familiar with piada (a.k.a. piadina), they’re simple Italian flatbreads that can be stuffed with all kinds of fillings, both sweet and savoury. I went for a classic Italian combination – creamy mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil, along with some avocado and a few salad leaves. It was a brilliant lunch.

Homemade piada flatbread stuffed with avocado, tomato and mozzarella, served on a wooden board

There are barely any ingredients in these homemade piada – just plain flour, baking powder, and olive oil (plus a pinch of salt and pepper and some water, but surely those don’t count?). Mix it all together, and knead the dough for a few minutes. I’m never too excited when I see that a bread recipe involves kneading (I do usually wonder whether I can allow my laziness to prevail and just skip it), but I actually quite enjoyed kneading the dough for these homemade piada. Once you get into a rhythm, you can just zone out and get lost in your own thoughts. It also helps that you can really see the difference the kneading makes. It transforms the mixture from a sticky mess into something that actually looks like a ball of bread dough.

Homemade piada flatbread dough before and after kneading

Then it’s just a case of rolling the dough flat, and cooking up the flatbreads in a frying pan until they’re nice and crispy on both sides. This recipe makes about 6 piada, though I adapted it from a recipe on The Kitchn that will make at least 8, so head over there if you want to make a larger batch!

Homemade piada flatbreads before and after being cooked in a frying pan

These homemade piada taste amazing. Usually, the bread in a sandwich is just a carrier for the fillings – but when you’re using these homemade flatbreads, they’re just as irresistible as whatever you choose to put inside. They taste so fresh – to be honest I think they’d be great even just with a smear of melty salted butter.

Homemade piada flatbreads on a wooden board, stuffed with avocado, tomatoes and mozzarella

But as usual, I thought I’d better share something a little more interesting than just ‘bread and butter’, so I was a bit more inventive with my fillings. Fresh mozzarella torn into chunks, dark red tomatoes that smell like a greenhouse, ripe avocado… these homemade piada were a real Italian treat!

Homemade piada flatbread on a wooden board, stuffed with avocado, tomatoes and mozzarella

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4.67 from 3 votes

Homemade piada (easy Italian flatbreads)

These Italian flatbreads are easy to make, and perfect stuffed with all kinds of sweet or savoury fillings!
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Servings: 6 piada

Ingredients

  • 450 g (~ 3 cups) plain flour (plus more for dusting)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 50 ml (~ 1/4 cup) olive oil
  • 250 ml (~ 1 cup) water

Instructions

  • Add the flour and baking powder to a large mixing bowl, and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roughly mix. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the olive oil and water. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to bring the mixture together into a rough, sticky dough.
  • When the dough has just come together, turn it out onto a clean, well-floured worktop.
  • Scatter a little more flour over the top, and use clean hands to start bringing the dough into a ball. Add a little more flour as needed to help the dough become less sticky and to stop it from sticking to the worktop. When the dough is less sticky, knead it for around 5-10 minutes.
  • Place the ball of dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, and roll one of the pieces very thinly, dusting with more flour to stop it sticking to the worktop.
  • Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When it's hot, pick up the rolled-out dough by rolling it over the rolling pin, and lay it in the pan. Prick all over with a fork to help prevent large bubbles. Cook for a few minutes, until the underside is slightly browned, then turn the piada over and cook the other side.
  • Remove the cooked piada from the pan, and repeat with the remaining balls of dough. Best eaten immediately, with your choice of fillings.
Course: Light lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Becca Heyes

 

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1 homemade piada, not including fillings.

Why not use your homemade piada for dipping in a tasty Italian soup – this Tuscan bean and veggie soup is ideal!