Torta al testo di Assisi, the grandmother’s recipe of the famous crescia di Gubbio, which is nothing other than a cross between a skillet-baked bread with a quick rise and a focaccia to be filled, or rather a homemade bread, humble, quick and economical, similar to the more famous Greek pita, but without brewer’s yeast.
Umbria, with its hills, green meadows, rural houses, polite people, calm, peace and the wonderful Assisi, is one of my favorite places, which I have visited several times over the last 20 years.
I remember dreaming of it since I was a child, I had studied it at school and fallen in love with it; so the first stop of my honeymoon was Umbria, with Assisi newly restored after the 1997 earthquake. A town that in 2003 still showed a few wounds from the event, some scaffolding and construction sites, and then Norcia with its cathedral still beautiful and radiant, and also Gubbio, Orvieto, Spoleto….
Walking through the streets of Assisi, Gubbio, and throughout the region, you will notice signs everywhere saying “torta al testo for sale”, which along with thousands of jars of truffle sauces and cured meats, is one of the most sold gastronomic products.
The Torta al Testo, which is not a cake, is an ancient Umbrian recipe: a focaccia dough kneaded and cooked on a very thick cast-iron plate, traditionally placed on embers, called “testo”, and filled with the best of the local cured meats.
Today I want to offer you exactly this specialty, this “last minute” bread, lightly leavened but with an original and pleasant taste that will save your dinner many times and which I’m sure you will love. Let’s get our hands in the dough, but before we roll up our sleeves I remind you that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here)
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 3 flatbreads with a 12-inch diameter
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Embers
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 8 cups type 1 flour (or type 0 flour)
- 2 3/4 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda (or 1 tsp baking powder)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Testo or very thick cast-iron skillet
- Rolling pin
Preparation
To make the Umbrian torta al testo, start by pouring the flour into a bowl. In my case, as a good Sicilian I used half re-milled durum semolina and half type 0 flour, but you can use the flours indicated in the ingredients list above.
Add the water, the oil, the salt and the baking soda (or baking powder). Work the dough initially in the bowl, then move to the work surface and knead vigorously until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous and elastic dough.
Divide the dough into three equal parts and let them rest covered with a cloth for 30 minutes.
After the resting time, roll out the first piece of dough into a disk about 1.5 cm high.
Meanwhile, place the testo or your cast-iron skillet on the heat and let it warm over medium flame for 5 minutes.
Dust the testo with flour, which should brown but not burn, then move the dough disk onto the plate, prick it with the tines of a fork and start cooking.
After a couple of minutes, flip it and cook the other side; turn it a few more times — it should be cooked in about ten minutes.
If you see the torta al testo darkening too much, lower the flame: the focaccia should brown and form a crispy crust, but not burn.
As soon as it is cooked, let it rest a few minutes and then fill it as you like; you can use cured meats, cheeses, vegetables, grilled vegetables, grilled sausages with vegetables, etc…
Storage
Wrap any leftover, unfilled torta al testo in plastic wrap and keep it for a couple of days. When you want to use it again it will be a bit hard, so preheat the oven to 248°F and place it inside for ten minutes before serving.
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