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Coccoli - Italian Bread Dough Fritters Recipe
A classic Italian
recipe. Fried bread dough has always been popular
in Florence and in
Tuscany. Similarly; Panzanelle, Panzerotti and Ficattole are all bread dough fritters with different
shapes from different parts of Tuscany.
Ingredients:
6-8 cups - Flour
4 cups - Milk (105-110°F)
1 oz. - Cake yeast, (equivalent to 2 pkgs. dry yeast, use the rapid rise)
1 tbsp - Honey or sugar
4 tbsp - Softened butter or lard
2 tsp - Salt
Olive oil or peanut oil for frying
Preparation:
Dissolve the yeast in 2 cups of milk with 1 tbsp honey or sugar.
Place 4 cups of flour in a large bowl and make a well in the
center and pour the milk and yeast mixture into the center and add the salt.
Beat in the butter or lard for 2 minutes until it’s thoroughly blended.
Slowly add the rest of the flour, and more of the
milk, as necessary, kneading until you have a smooth dough
that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Place the doughball in a
greased bowl, cover with kitchen film or a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise
for about 45 minutes.
Punch down and roll out the dough into a ¼ inch
thick sheet. Cut out shapes, or, roll into bite-sized balls.
Heat your oil to 375° and deep fry for a couple of minutes.
Don’t over fry or they will get chewy.
You can roll your coccoli in course salt for the taste of a soft pretzels, or
granular or powdered sugar.
By spreading the dough with a rolling pin to about ¼ inch thick and cutting
it into diamond-shapes you can make the famous "Crescentine." Depending on the size of your cutter this recipe will make 60-80 coccoli.
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