Homemade Crescentine

Crescentine, also known as tigelle, are small bread discs typical of the Emilia-Romagna region, particularly of the Modena Apennines area. Traditionally, they are cooked between two terracotta discs called “tigellae”, but they can also be made at home with a suitable pan or griddle.

Ingredients

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 250 ml of lukewarm water
• 12 g of fresh baker’s yeast
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 3 tablespoons of lard (or extra virgin olive oil as an alternative)
• A pinch of baking soda (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water.
2. Add the sifted flour, salt, and a pinch of baking soda (this helps make them softer).
3. Knead the mixture gradually adding the lard until you get a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
5. Take the dough and divide it into walnut-sized balls (about 30-40 g each).
6. Roll out each ball with a rolling pin until you get discs about 1 cm thick.
7. Heat the griddle (or a non-stick frying pan) and cook the crescentine for about 2-3 minutes per side, until they are puffed up and golden brown.

Crescentine are excellent served hot, accompanied by cured meats, cheeses, and pickles. Traditionally, in Emilia-Romagna, they are a convivial dish, perfect for sharing in good company.

Curiosity

The name “tigella” comes from the ancient cooking object, but over time, the term “crescentina” has begun to take hold. Furthermore, there is a subtle dispute between those who call them tigelle and those who call them crescentine, but what is certain is that they are delicious!

Remember that if you don’t have lard, it’s common to find recipes that use olive oil, even though it will slightly change the final flavor of the dish.