In this recipe, I bring you a pure Sicilian delicacy! I’m talking about the fried and sugared donuts that in Palermo are often called “Taralle“. Considered sweets because, once fried in hot oil, they are then coated in sugar on both sides.

The preparation involves the use of brioche dough, a very versatile dough for the preparation of classic rotisserie pieces or Palermo-style pizza by the slice. The fried donuts are a classic found in almost every bar in the city of Palermo and the province (I’m not sure if it’s the same in the rest of Sicily) and they are even sold along some beaches during the summer by street vendors.

The final result will allow you to delight yourself and your guests with this very simple dessert. You will offer a moment of sweetness that will hardly leave palates indifferent!

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Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
Portions: approximately 6
Cooking methods: Frying
Cuisine: Regional Italian
Region: Sicily
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

For the Fried Donuts (Taralle)

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup water
0.88 oz fresh yeast
1.8 oz lard
3.5 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
as needed vegetable oil for frying
as needed sugar for final garnish

Tools

Mixer
Kitchen Scale
Containers
Slotted Spoon
Thermometer

Steps

To make the Fried Donuts (Taralle)

First, put the flour, water, yeast, lard, and sugar into the mixer and start it for 3 minutes. At the third minute, add the salt and let the machine work for the last minute.
Then, take out the dough and place it on a work surface. Form a ball and place it inside an airtight container for 30 minutes.
Next, after the resting time, take the dough back to the work surface and form a loaf. At this point, make pieces weighing 100 grams (3.5 oz) each until the dough is exhausted.
At this point, shape the dough into balls by making circular movements with the palm of your hand on the work surface. Finally, place all the balls inside airtight containers and let rise for 1 and a half hours.
After the rising time, take the balls out of the containers and flatten them with a rolling pin while preserving their round shape. Then use a pastry cutter to remove a small disc from the center.
At this point, place all the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them rise for another hour and a half inside the oven with only the light on. After the rising time, take the baking sheet out and bring the vegetable oil to 356°F (180°C) in a pot.
To finish, immerse the donuts one at a time and fry for about 1 and a half minutes on each side. Once done, remove the donut from the hot oil and let the excess oil drain for a few seconds.
As the final step, place the freshly fried donut on a plate full of sugar and make sure the grains stick completely to it. Similarly, turn the donut over to achieve the same result on the opposite side.
Finally, repeat the same operation for all the donuts and serve them on a tray while still warm!