Sgabei, panzanelle, fried dough, what do you call them? In Liguria and Lunigiana they are Sgabei, in Versilia Panzanelle, not to be confused with the Tuscan panzanella which is something else entirely, in Emilia fried dough. It is a very ancient dish prepared by housewives for men working in the fields; basically, with yellow flour, housewives made sandwiches to fry in lard, which accompanied cured meats and cheeses. Sgabei are still very appreciated today because they represent a link with local traditions and a tasty appetizer or main course, even though, unlike in the past, white flour is predominantly used instead of yellow flour. The sgabei are excellent both plain, slightly salted on the surface, and filled with cheeses or cold cuts. Someone has even tried to make them a dessert, stuffed with custard or chocolate.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 2 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20/25 pieces
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 cups Manitoba flour
- 0.25 oz fresh yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- as needed peanut oil (for frying)
Preparation
Dissolve the fresh yeast in lukewarm water, then pour it into a bowl. Add salt, sugar, and flour, then, very slowly, start pouring in the water. Knead carefully, then add the oil until you get a homogeneous mixture. Ball up the dough well, place it in a bowl: cover it with cling film and let it rise (for at least an hour, if I can, I let it swell for at least 2 hours).
Take pieces of dough from the mixture and roll them out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 inch
Then, using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into diamonds and strips
Gradually arrange the sgabei on a cloth and let them rest for 20-30 minutes
Heat the oil for frying in a large pan
Submerge the sgabei a little at a time in the hot oil, you will see them swell and turn golden, turn them occasionally so that they brown evenly
Let the sgabei dry on absorbent paper and lightly salt
Serve very hot with cold cuts, stracchino or squacquerone, creamy sweet gorgonzola, enjoy the goodness!
