After spending the morning in Spaccanapoli, on October 2nd we had lunch at “Nam43“.
There were many choices from a truly varied and appetizing menu.
To start with…a tasty and beautiful Neapolitan fresella.
The frisella (or as Neapolitans say “fresella“) is a tarallo made with durum wheat and baked in the oven, porous in appearance, actually hard and crunchy, it is uniquely twice-baked, because it is baked twice in the oven.
Seafarers’ bread, crusaders’ bread, survival bread for navigators and sailors, in Naples it was sold on the street by the “tarallari”, the ancient street vendors.
The term “fresella” seems to derive from the Latin “frendere” meaning “to grind, crush, pulverize” and as Pliny the Elder already wrote (Naturalis Historia, book XXII, 138), regarding seafarers’ bread, it meant “to break into pieces”.
In Naples the fresella is the base of the caponata, made with chopped tomatoes, garlic, oil, oregano, and basil, we tried it with buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, onions, and eggplants in oil (see photo).
The toppings are really endless, just soak the fresella first in cold water for a time that depends on individual taste and the consistency of the cooked dough, then season it with whatever you like best!
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 16 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs all-purpose flour or 00 flour (or 0.55 lbs barley flour + 0.55 lbs all-purpose or 00 flour)
- 1 tbsp malt (or chestnut honey)
- 0.35 oz fresh yeast
- 1.3 cups water
- to taste salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Combine the two flours with the malt (or honey) and mix.
Create a mound, leaving a hole in the center half a glass of warm water in which the fresh yeast has been dissolved.
Start kneading by gradually adding the flour and adjusting the salt. When a dough ball is formed, let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Work the dough again, adding oil in a thin stream and water until a smooth dough is obtained.
Divide into 5 parts of about 2.8/3.5 oz each.
Form a small loaf for each piece. Roll the loaf to form a ring. Let rise for another 15/20 minutes.
When the dough has doubled, turn on the oven to 356°F and bake for 20-25 minutes.
When ready, proceed with a horizontal cut to obtain two parts.
Place them in the oven with the cut side facing up and bake at 302°F for 15 minutes.
Storage:
The fresella is stored in clay containers (today in plastic bags) to preserve it from moisture and to ensure its longevity.
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For the recipe you can use Baking Malt
What is the recipe for freselle with sourdough?
For sourdough freselle follow this gluten-free recipe.
