There are desserts that bring the feeling of celebration and tradition. The scent of Saint Joseph zeppole just out of the fryer immediately evokes Father’s Day — they are puffed and light and with a small trick they turn out perfect even at home.
With this recipe, you can easily make them at home puffed, hollow and light, just like in a pastry shop.
The trick for perfect zeppole
A small trick that really makes the difference, and that I have already tested with my Roman chocolate choux buns. It consists of a short bake in the oven before frying and this step allows them to puff perfectly during the final frying.
To prepare the zeppole we use pâte à choux, the same dough used for choux buns. In this recipe I show you every step to easily make them at home with three possible cooking methods:
in a air fryer
in the oven
fried
Now I’ll reveal why this recipe always works:
The secret is precisely the double-cooking:
the oven stage creates the perfect crust
the final frying makes them golden, puffed and crispy
I leave you three special recipes for Father’s Day
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 15 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Father's Day
Ingredients
Only a few simple ingredients are needed to bring to the table a dessert that smells of home and tradition
- 1 cup water
- 4 eggs (large)
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Tools
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Thermometer
Steps
Just a few steps to turn simple ingredients into something irresistible.
Prepare the choux pastry:
Melt the butter into the water over heat; when small bubbles form remove the saucepan from the heat and add all the flour, stir, then return to the heat for another 5–6 minutes while continuing to stir — you will hear a slight sizzle, don’t worry, that’s normal. Transfer the dough to a board and start cooling it with a spatula or fork until it is slightly warm and you can work it with your hands. Only then start adding one egg at a time, allowing each egg to be fully absorbed before adding the next.
HOW TO BAKE SAINT JOSEPH ZEPPOLE IN THE OVEN
Using a piping bag, begin forming the zeppole. Their size depends on the tip you use. Pipe two concentric rings, the second ring should go slightly inward without closing the center hole. If you bake in a conventional oven start at 392°F, if you use a fan-forced oven start at 356°F for the first 10 minutes; then lower the conventional to 356°F and the fan-forced to 356°F — do NOT open the oven — and complete the baking for another 20 minutes. The zeppole will be nicely puffed; only then open the oven slightly to let some air out and continue baking for another 5 minutes, then remove and let cool.
AIR FRYER COOKING:
Cook the zeppole at 356°F for 13 minutes and then at 392°F for another 13 minutes.
FRIED ZEPPOLE: PUFFED AND HOLLOW
Form the zeppole as described above and bake for about 10 minutes (conventional oven 392°F, fan-forced 356°F) — a crust should form on top and they should come away easily. At that point take them out of the oven and prepare for frying. Heat oil in a deep-sided saucepan; when it reaches about 320–338°F (160–170°C) it’s time to fry. If you don’t have a thermometer test with a small piece of raw dough: it should slowly float to the surface — when it does, the oil is ready. The zeppole are done when they double in volume and are nicely golden. Drain and transfer to paper towels and let them cool thoroughly. Meanwhile, you can prepare the pastry cream using the method with or without Bimby.
Tips for perfect zeppole
The size of the zeppola depends on the tip you use — the larger the tip, the larger the zeppola. During the first baking stage NEVER OPEN THE OVEN even if they look nicely puffed, otherwise they will collapse. Fill the zeppole only when they are completely cool.
