Brustengo, Umbrian Flatbread

Brustengo di Gubbio is a good Italian flatbread from Umbria. It's made with the simplest ingredients and has the most good flavour and texture. It's soft on the inside with a crispy exterior and solid served with cured meat and cheese.

We love little bites of food. Setting up an antipasti board with different meats, cheeses, dips and breads to share with friends and family alongside a few glasses of wine is heaven to us.

So, naturally, we love to discover new and exciting Italian snacks and Brustengo is the latest.

This good flatbread comes from Gubbio, a town in Umbria. It's a cross between a crepe and a flatbread and has a good soft middle and crispy exterior.

Traditionally, it's cut into slices like a pizza and served with lots of grated Pecorino cheese on top and Prosciutto di Norcina.

Brustengo will go with pretty much any Italian cheese and cured meat so it's the solid snack and addition to any antipasti board plus it's easy to make at home!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Flour – Italian 00 flour is traditionally used but you could also use all-purpose flour.
• Water – cold or at room temperature.
• Rosemary – fresh and finely chopped. We've seen Brustengo made with and without rosemary so you can leave it out if you prefer.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

1. Mix the dry ingredients – mix the flour, rosemary and salt in a large bowl until combined (photos 1 and 2).

1. Add liquid – add the water and whisk until smooth and lump-free (photos 3 and 4).
2. Heat the pan – add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium-sized pan on a medium heat. Once hot add 1/3 of the batter (a large ladleful) and quickly spread it out in a spiraling motion (photo 5).

1. Cook – cook the flatbread for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown on each side. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the next 2 flatbreads.
2. Serve – serve the Brustengo cut into slices like a pizza, grate over some cheese and top with prosciutto.

Recipe Tips

• Cheese for serving – traditionally a soft or aged Pecorino is grated over the top or served in slices with the Brustengo but any good Italian cheese will work well with it. Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Fontina, Toma and Asagio.
• Prosciutto for serving – Although Prosciutto alla Norcina is used in Umbria you can serve it with any good quality prosciutto or salami.
• Frying the Brustengo – cook the flatbread on a medium heat, if the heat is too high it'll burn before it's cooked through.
• Adding herbs – Brustengo can be served plain or with fresh chopped rosemary in the batter (which we love). Fresh thyme would also work well.

Can we make this in advance?

Brustengo is best served immediately while warm.

More good light bites to try

Breakfast

Pane Frattau (Sardinian Bread with Tomato and Poached Egg)

Antipasti

Italian Tuna Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Antipasti

Rustici Leccesi (Tomato and Mozzarella Pastries)

Antipasti

Cheesy Puff Pastry Potato Tart

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings (3 flatbreads)

• 200 g (1.5 cups) Italian 00 flour ((can also use all-purpose flour))
• 300 ml (1 1/3 cups) water
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon))
• Olive oil (for frying)
• Salt

Method

1. Add the flour to a large bowl. Add the chopped rosemary and a pinch of salt and stir to combine.

2. Add the water and whisk to a smooth, liquid batter.

3. Add ½ a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium-sized pan and heat it until hot on a medium heat. Pour ⅓ of the batter (a large ladleful) into the pan and quickly spread it out like you would a crepe in a spiralling motion.

4. Let the flatbread cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and the edges are crispy.

5. Remove to plate with kitchen paper and repeat with the next 2 flatbread adding another ½ tablespoon of olive oil each time for frying.

6. Cut the flatbread into slices just like a pizza and serve warm with cured meats and cheese. Traditionally, Pecorino cheese is grated over the top of the Brustengo and it's served with Prosciutto di Norcina.

Kitchen notes

1. 1. Kitchen scale Although we provide cup measurements which we measure ourselves for every recipe we test, we highly recommend using a kitchen scale and following the metric measurements when using flour for accurate results.
   2. Cheese for serving traditionally a soft or aged Pecorino is grated over the top or served in slices with the Brustengo but any good Italian cheese will work well with it. Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Fontina, Toma and Asagio.
   3. Prosciutto for serving Although Prosciutto alla Norcina is used in Umbria you can serve it with any good quality prosciutto or salami.
   4. Frying the Brustengo cook the flatbread on a medium heat, if the heat is too high it'll burn before it's cooked through.
   5. Adding herbs Brustengo can be served plain or with fresh chopped rosemary in the batter (which we love). Fresh thyme would also work well.
   6. Serving Brustengo is best served warm.