Leontina's Coal-Covered Cake

A few years ago, my friend Don Remo and I began to research the country culture of the Castiglione del Lago area. We went around visiting many families, particularly those where there were older people who could tell us stories and anecdotes from the past. One evening, we went for dinner at Primo and Leontina's house. They told us many stories and made us a special cake cooked under the fireplace ashes and coals. Leontina made a dough out of flour and water with a pinch of salt and brewer's yeast. When the dough had risen, she prepared a schiacciata (a special flat cake) and in the large fireplace where there was already a nice fire going and many coals, she carefully cleaned a spot under the coals. She placed the schiacciata on it and covered it with the hot ashes and coals.After about 40 minutes, the schiacciata was pulled out from the ashes. If only you could smell the delicious aroma! Primo then cut it into two with a knife and stuffed it with some slices of pancetta. I'll leave you to imagine how delicious it was!! Now that salted lard is popular again, try to picture that schiacciata fresh from under the ashes, so hot you couldn't even hold it, stuffed with slices of pancetta.

Give it a try and then write me what you imagine.