Non-VegetarianMarchigiana cuisine Starters

Ciauscolo su Crescia

Name: Ciauscolo su Crescia
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Marchigiana
Ingredients: 300 g Plain flour; 40 g Lard; 150 ml warm water; 6 g Fine sea salt; 1 g Black pepper; 250 g ciauscolo igp

Warm Marchigiano flatbread spread generously with soft, garlic-scented ciauscolo salame. A beloved farmhouse snack from the hills of Macerata.

🇮🇹Italy· Marche

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 6 gathered

Servings

300 g Plain flour — Italian type 0 or standard unbleached plain flour
40 g Lard — strutto, softened at room temperature
150 ml warm water — around 35 degrees C
6 g Fine sea salt — dissolved evenly
1 g Black pepper — freshly ground
250 g ciauscolo igp — soft spreadable Marchigiano salame, casing removed

Equipment

•Cast-iron griddle or heavy skillet
•Rolling pin
•Mixing bowl
•Fork

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 22 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Combine the plain flour, fine sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a wide mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened lard into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3
Pour in the warm water gradually, stirring with a fork until a cohesive dough forms.
4
Knead the dough on an unfloured worktop for five minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave to rest at room temperature for twenty minutes.
6
Divide the dough into four equal balls and roll each out to four millimetres thick.
7
Prick the surface of each flatbread thoroughly with a fork to prevent large air bubbles.
8
Heat a cast-iron griddle or heavy dry skillet over medium heat until thoroughly hot.
9
Cook each crescia for three to four minutes per side until blistered with charred spots.
10
Cut the hot bread into halves or quarters and spread immediately with room-temperature ciauscolo.

Chef's tips

Serve the crescia immediately while steaming hot so the cured pork fat softens and melts slightly into the bread. Ensure the ciauscolo is at room temperature prior to assembling so it spreads effortlessly without tearing the hot dough.

Ingredient substitutions

ciauscolo IGP → a soft spreadable cured pork sausage such as fresh salamella or a mild pasticcio di maiale, though ciauscolo has a distinct garlic and wine aroma
lard → extra virgin olive oil in equal weight, producing a slightly crisper, less flaky flatbread

Storage

Store leftover unspread crescia wrapped tightly in foil for up to one day; keep ciauscolo refrigerated in its casing.

Reheating

Warm the unspread flatbread on a dry skillet over medium heat for one minute per side before spreading.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Rolling the crescia too thin, which turns it into a hard cracker rather than a tender, foldable flatbread.
•Cooking over low heat, which dries out the interior dough before developing the characteristic charred griddle blisters.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately on a wooden board alongside young pecorino cheese and pickled artichokes.Pair with a glass of regional red wine such as Rosso Piceno or Lacrima di Morro d'Alba.