San Martino sfinci, also known as sfingi, zeppoline, or San Martino fritters, are delicious fried sweets rolled in sugar and cinnamon, prepared for the occasion of November 11th.
The festival of San Martino is a traditional celebration with ancient rural origins, particularly significant in parts of Italy, such as Sicily. The festival coincides with the end of many harvests and the maturation of “new wine,” which is tasted for the first time precisely on San Martino’s day, to celebrate the Saint who, through his benevolence and charitable behavior, is said to have given rise to the “San Martino’s Summer.”
It is said that San Martino, then a soldier in the Roman army, found a beggar on his path on a particularly cold day. Martino did not hesitate to tear his cloak in two and give part of it to the beggar to protect him from the cold. Legend has it that, at that moment, the clouds parted and the sun appeared to warm the day, and for this reason, during the days of the Saint’s observance, autumn supposedly grants a few days of mild and sunny weather, allowing the completion of seasonal harvests with tranquility. This is another reason why the festival of San Martino is deeply rooted in rural tradition and a good opportunity to gather together and celebrate with various sweets paired with new wine.
Here in Puglia, it is said: “San Martino, fritters and wine”: it is customary to celebrate with new wine, roasted chestnuts, panzerotti, and fritters, which we call popizze or pettole (enjoyed in a savory version, or even in a sweet version or dipped in vincotto) and are soft, fried dough balls served with meat, cured meats, cheese, fried olives.
However, I wanted to try something not typically from the Apulian tradition, so I started searching for the recipe of San Martino sfinci. Naturally, as with all traditional and ancient recipes, I found many different versions, from the simplest, involving only semolina, water, and a few other ingredients to richer ones that include eggs. I also found recipes with or without the addition of boiled potatoes, filled with raisins or fennel seeds or anise.
The version I offer you is a recipe with boiled potatoes in the dough, which makes them very soft, and without eggs, a version that seemed like a good compromise among the many variants. The San Martino sfinci prepared with this recipe were very much appreciated by everyone, they were devoured within the day, so I would like to share it with you, but first, here are some delicious ideas to try!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, San Martino
- Energy 333.42 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 70.83 (g) of which sugars 22.29 (g)
- Proteins 9.22 (g)
- Fat 2.57 (g) of which saturated 1.18 (g)of which unsaturated 0.85 (g)
- Fibers 2.89 (g)
- Sodium 4.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 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 preparing San Martino Sfinci
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina
- 1/2 lb potatoes (weighed whole, raw and with skin)
- 1 1/4 cups milk (or plant-based drink or water – you may need more or less)
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- orange zest
- to taste ground cinnamon
- to taste granulated sugar
- to taste sunflower oil
Tools for San Martino sfinci
- Bowl
- Frying pan
- Potato masher
- Pot
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
- Spoons
Steps to prepare San Martino fritters
Let’s see together how to prepare these delicious and very soft San Martino fritters.
Boil the potatoes whole in boiling water for about 20 minutes. When they feel soft when pierced with a fork, drain them and let them cool slightly.
Then pass them through a potato masher: to speed things up and simplify, you can mash them directly with the skin. The skin will remain in the masher, so you avoid burning your fingers.
Add the all-purpose flour, semolina, and the grated orange peel.
Also add the sugar to the bowl with the other ingredients.
The original recipe did not include it, but I, for my personal taste, added a pinch of cinnamon to the dough too.
Dissolve the fresh yeast in a little warm milk taken from the total and mix.
Add the milk to the dough and begin to mix. As already anticipated, you might need more or less milk, it largely depends on how much water the boiled potatoes have absorbed. My advice is to add it little by little and assess the consistency of the dough: if it is very dry, add a little milk at a time. If, on the other hand, the dough is already soft and sticky, do not add all the milk provided in the recipe.
Mix all the ingredients with a fork or with your hands.
The dough should be soft and sticky.
Once ready, cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap.
Let it rise until it doubles. It will take about 3-4 hours. After the rising time, you can start frying the San Martino sfinci.
Take a thick-bottomed pan and put plenty of sunflower oil. Heat it well and then start frying.
With the help of two spoons, take small amounts of dough and dip them in the oil. To make them the same size, fill about half a tablespoon.
Turn them often with a slotted spoon until they are well golden. Fry over moderate heat, because if the flame is too high and the oil is too hot, the San Martino sfinci might cook on the outside and remain raw inside.
Once ready, drain them well and place them for a few minutes on paper towels.
Fill a bowl with granulated sugar and cinnamon and immediately pass the San Martino sfinci in the sugar, while they are still hot. I did not add cinnamon on the outside for my children (however, I included it in the dough), but the original recipe does.
Place the sfinci on a serving plate and eat them on the same day. They are so soft that you can’t stop at just one!
Notes
– Like all fried foods, San Martino sfinci are best eaten right after frying to fully enjoy their taste and softness. If you have leftovers, store them well-closed in a container or covered with plastic wrap and consume within 24 hours.
– I advise against making the sfinci too large, as they might end up raw or undercooked inside. For this type of recipe, it is always best to fry over moderate heat and fry few fritters at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too much, making the fritters greasy and heavy.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make San Martino sfinci without milk?
Yes, you can substitute milk with water or plant-based milk. If lactose intolerance is the issue, you can also use lactose-free milk.
