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Gnocco Fritto (Emilian Fried Puffy Bread)
Gnocco fritto is a crispy fried dough typical of Emilia Romagna. These delicious, puffy, golden bread fritters are one of the most traditional foods of this region.Along with Piadina Romagnola, Gnocco Fritto is the most delicious and popular bread substitute in this part of Italy.Gnocco Fritto is a soft but crunchy fried bread, light and puffy, golden yellow in color. It's generally shaped like a diamond or an irregular rectangle.
Ingredients
- 350 g flour - 2 ¾ cups
- 150 ml milk - ⅔ cup
- 4 g active dry yeast - 1 ⅓ teaspoons
- 6 g salt - 1 teaspoon
- 30 g lard - ~ 2 tablespoons, or unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 liter vegetable oil - ~ 4 cups, for frying such as canola oil or sunflower oil
Instructions
- To prepare the gnocco fritto recipe, start by heating the milk. Keep it just lukewarm, do not let it boil.
- Pour the warm milk into a large bowl and add the yeast. Stir and let stand for a few minutes.
- Add the flour, lard and salt. PLEASE NOTE: With the same amounts, you can use either lard or butter or EVO oil (see the section below on using the fat part).
- Mix the ingredients, then knead with your hands for about 10 minutes, still in the bowl or, if you prefer, on a work surface.
- Form a ball with the lightly floured dough and make a cross in the loaf.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.
- At the end of the rising time, lightly flour the work surface and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough again for about a minute to deflate it. Then cut it in half. PLEASE NOTE: For easier handling, we recommend dividing the loaf into two or three pieces. A smaller amount of dough is easier to roll out, especially if you do not have a very large work surface. Be sure to keep the dough covered while waiting to roll it out.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ½ cm (⅕ inch) thick.
- Then use a cutter wheel to cut diamonds or rectangles of dough about 6 to 8 cm (2 ⅓ to ~3 inches) long on each side. PLEASE NOTE: The regularity of the shapes is not important; in fact, this aspect makes the dish more rustic and distinctive. The size, on the other hand, is important in order to have fairly uniform cooking times.
- Heat the oil in a high-sided frying pan. The oil (or lard, according to tradition) should reach about 180°C (356°F).
- Fry 4-5 gnocchi at a time on both sides until puffed and lightly browned. They should not become overly colored.
- Remove the gnocchi from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Once the excess oil has been removed, place the gnocchi fritti in a basket or serving dish. Serve the gnocco fritto while still hot and fragrant.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 18gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 80mgPotassium: 24mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
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