The friselle with sourdough discard are the anti-waste version of a Southern Italian baked product, made with the leftover part of the sourdough starter. Their aroma immediately brings me to Puglia, where they are the stars of a simple and genuine cuisine. They are perfect for creating no-cook dishes and for appetizers and snacks to enjoy together. They are very easy to make and thanks to the double baking, they last a long time. If I have piqued your interest, turn on the stand mixer and let’s knead!
For more recipes with sourdough discard, I recommend taking a look here:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Puglia
- Seasonality: Summer, Autumn, Spring, Summer
- Energy 179.49 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.80 (g) of which sugars 0.49 (g)
- Proteins 5.72 (g)
- Fat 1.89 (g) of which saturated 0.29 (g)of which unsaturated 0.38 (g)
- Fibers 0.56 (g)
- Sodium 274.39 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Friselle with Sourdough Discard
Traditional Friselle are made with semolina, the queen flour of all Southern baked goods, but they can also be made with whole wheat flour for a more rustic flavor. The star of this recipe is undoubtedly the sourdough discard. As I explain in this tutorial, the discard is the part that is not refreshed and is generally discarded. However, it can also be used as an ingredient for recipes that do not require much rising, like crackers, breadsticks, and flatbreads. The discard used for this recipe was from a sourdough refreshed three days earlier.
- 9 oz re-milled durum wheat semolina flour
- 9 oz type 1 flour (from ancient grains)
- 4 oz sourdough starter (discard)
- 11 oz water
- 1 tsp sugar (I use cane sugar)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Cling Film
- 1 Container
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Pastry Board
- 1 Dough Scraper
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cooling Rack
Steps
Making friselle with sourdough discard is not difficult but just a bit more laborious than usual due to the double baking. But if you follow me step by step, you’ll discover it’s doable!
In a bowl sift the type 1 flour and mix it with the semolina using a spoon.
Add 7 oz of water subtracted from the total present in the recipe to activate the autolysis.
Mix everything roughly so that the flour absorbs the water, but without working it too much. Cover with cling film and let it rest for at least an hour. This will activate the gluten mesh, making the subsequent processing easier.
At the end of the autolysis, break the sourdough into the stand mixer’s bowl with the paddle attachment.
Add 2 oz of water and the sugar and dissolve the discard, creating a thick and milky liquid.
Start adding the autolysis result in multiple additions, alternating it with the remaining water.
Once the water is finished, place the hook on the stand mixer and add the oil. Once absorbed, finish with the salt. Let it knead by increasing the speed. In general, it took me about 15 minutes to make the dough.
Transfer the dough to a rectangular container oiled beforehand. Let it rest for half an hour and then form it into a ball before letting it rest again in the container. After three hours, I put everything in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, take the container out and let the dough come to room temperature for an hour. Then transfer it to a pastry board sprinkled with semolina. Use a dough scraper to cut many pieces weighing 2.8/3.5 oz. I got 12 pieces.
Round them into a spherical shape.
Take one at a time and shape them. There are different ways to do it. I pressed the balls in the center with a finger to form a hole.
Enlarge the hole as much as possible as they will swell during proofing and baking.
Place the formed bagels well-spaced on two baking sheets covered with parchment paper.
Then cover them with some cling film and a towel and wait for a second proofing. Depending on the external temperature, it can take from one and a half to two and a half hours.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake them for about 15 minutes until they swell. With two pans, I swapped them halfway through baking.
Remove them from the oven when they are still soft and lower the oven temperature to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
With a bread knife, cut the friselle still warm horizontally to create two halves.
Place the freshly cut halves back on the baking sheet and bake them again to dry out for 20/25 minutes. Since they will no longer rise, they can be placed close together.
The Friselle will be cooked when they are golden and very hard. Place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, they will be ready to be enjoyed. The most traditional way to do this is to soak them by passing them under warm water and then seasoning them with oil and salt, placing cherry tomatoes and basil on top.
Friselle with sourdough discard can be stored for over a week in a paper bag. They are perfect for snacks and picnics and suitable for all seasons… have you ever tried making them with kale? If you liked this recipe, come tell me on Instagram!
