Soft saffron flatbreads with asparagus frittata

On April 23rd, for any self-respecting resident of Vieste, lunch consists of a frittata sandwich! Tradition dictates that for the feast of San Giorgio Martire (Saint George the Martyr), the town fills with aromas and flavors from sandwiches stuffed with frittata. This tradition is ancient; some say that a beggar had nothing to offer the saint but a frittata sandwich, and the tradition has continued ever since.

Together with Azzurra, we decided to pay homage to this festival by preparing an asparagus frittata sandwich, a tribute to tradition and the goodness of our land. Our blogger created soft, fragrant, and fluffy saffron focaccia, which pairs perfectly with the frittata enriched with asparagus, a symbol of life and regeneration. In this dish, Tradizione extra virgin olive oil, produced from the native Ogliarola Garganica cultivar, plays a fundamental role, lending delicacy and balance to the focaccia dough and the frittata's cooking. An authentic culinary experience that celebrates our land and its history.

FOR THE FOCACCIA

• 500 g of flour for pizza and focaccia (at least 12% protein)
• 170 ml of milk
• 150 ml of water
• 10 g of fresh brewer's yeast
• 20 ml of Tradizione extra virgin olive oil
• 10 g of salt
• 5 g of diastatic malt (or one teaspoon of sugar)
• 2 tablespoons of potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
• 2 sachets of saffron

1. Place the flour in a bowl (or stand mixer) and crumble in the yeast.
2. Add the malt, room temperature milk and water, oil, saffron, and potato flakes. Start kneading, and after a few minutes, add the salt. Knead for about ten minutes until you get a soft and elastic dough.
3. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover well, and let it rise for 2/3 hours, until doubled in size.
4. Divide the dough into 8 portions, shaping them into rounds on the work surface.
5. Place them on two baking trays lined with parchment paper, well-spaced, and let them rise for another hour.
6. With your fingertips, flatten the focaccias, keeping a thickness of at least 1 cm.
7. Prepare a brine with 3 tablespoons of oil, 3 tablespoons of water, and a pinch of salt, and brush the focaccias before baking.
8. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (fan-assisted) for about 15/20 minutes, until golden brown. Brush the focaccias again with the brine as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool slightly.

FOR THE FRITTATA (for 3 pieces/2-3 servings)

• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• two tablespoons of milk
• salt, pepper
• a bunch of asparagus
• One clove of garlic
• Tradizione extra virgin olive oil

1. Remove the toughest part of the asparagus stems and cut them into small pieces.
2. Sauté a little oil with a clove of garlic and add the asparagus, season with salt, cover with a lid and cook for about ten minutes.
3. Separately, beat the eggs with salt, pepper, milk, Parmesan, and then add the asparagus.
4. Grease a 15 cm frying pan and heat it, add 1/3 of the egg mixture and cook, flipping halfway through. Proceed this way with the other two frittatas. (You can also make one large frittata and then cut it into slices).
5. Stuff the warm focaccias with the frittata and enjoy immediately.

A few tips:

• The focaccias can be prepared in advance, stored well covered, and then lightly warmed before consumption.
• You can also freeze them.