Apulian fritters or pettole are balls of very soft leavened dough, fried and served savory or sweet. They are a typical dish of the Christmas period and are never missing from the holiday table, simple or stuffed with vegetables, or sweet with sugar or a drizzle of cooked wine or honey.
Fried pittule are part of the history of the poor dishes of the past, when the table was filled with what was available at home, they are eaten in one bite and one leads to another. Children were given them for breakfast sprinkled with honey and adults still appreciate them today even stuffed with cod, cauliflowers, chicory tops.
In other regions, there is also a tradition of sweet and savory fritters during the Christmas holidays, my mother, for example, loved those stuffed with thistles. In this recipe, we will make them simple to serve with savory dishes or after rolling them in plenty of sugar for sweetness. For vegetarians, there are also the sea fritters with seaweed and capers, worth trying.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 50 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 14 oz cups water (lukewarm)
- 0.5 oz fresh brewer's yeast (half packet)
- 1 tbsp oz salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 cups l seed oil (for frying)
Steps
Pour the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the center, and crumble in the fresh yeast.
Gradually add the lukewarm water and honey, gathering the flour and yeast with a fork. Add the salt, oil, and mix the dough, which should be very soft.
At this point, you will need to get your hands dirty and beat the dough in the bowl for at least 10 minutes, so that it incorporates as much air as possible while forming the gluten network.
Beat the dough vigorously against the sides of the bowl and when you see the first air bubbles forming stop and let it rise, covered, until doubled.
After the rising time, which varies from 2-4 hours, depending on room temperature, you can proceed with frying the pittule.
Place the seed oil in a small pot for frying and heat it up.
With two spoons, one small and one large, you will form the balls and fry them in the hot oil. With the small spoon, take a portion of dough, place it on the large spoon, form a ball, and with the small spoon place the pittula in the oil. I keep the small spoon immersed in a small glass with water and then drain the ready pittule with a spider strainer.
Fry 6-7 balls at a time, for a few minutes, until evenly golden and then drain them by placing them in a bowl with paper towels.
They are ready to eat, they are excellent hot, but also cold.
