Sausage and stracchino piadini

1.Process onion and half the garlic in a food processor, add tomato, season to taste and process until smooth. Set aside. Heat oil in a frying pan, add sausage and cook over medium-high heat until browned, breaking into pieces with a wooden spoon (2-3 minutes). Add tomato mixture and simmer until sausage is just cooked through and sauce is slightly reduced (2-3 minutes). Set aside.

2.For piadina dough, combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add lard and, using your fingertips, rub in to combine. Add oil and 200-250ml water, fit mixer with a dough hook and mix on lowest speed until combined (2-3 minutes). Dough should come together easily, if too dry, add extra water. Increase speed to high and knead until smooth and elastic (4-5 minutes). Divide dough into 6 even pieces, form into balls and roll each on a lightly floured work surface to 3mm thick. Cover with a tea towel to prevent drying out.

3.Preheat a lightly oiled frying pan over high heat. Add a dough disc and cook until light golden in parts (1-2 minutes), turn and spread with a little sausage mixture, scatter with a quarter of the stracchino and a little thyme. Cook until underside is light golden in parts and cheese starts to melt (1-2 minutes). Season to taste, fold in half, turn and cook for another minute and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil, scatter with extra thyme and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining ingredients.