Nonna Pia's Freshly Fried Zeppole

Ingredients

• 4 cup All-purpose flour (Plus more as needed for consistency)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2.25 tsp Active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
• 1.5 cup Warm water (Added gradually until dough is soft)
• Vegetable oil (For deep frying and for coating hands)
• 0.25 cup Granulated sugar (For dusting)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, add a generous amount of flour.

2. 2

   Add the salt and the yeast to the flour.

3. 3

   Gradually pour in warm water while mixing by hand.

4. 4

   Continue to mix and knead the dough by hand until it is soft and well-combined. Add more flour if necessary to reach a soft bread-dough consistency.

5. 5

   Cover the dough and let it rest (take a 'nap') for about 30 minutes until it has risen significantly.

6. 6

   Heat a large pot with a significant amount of oil for deep frying.

7. 7

   Lightly coat your hands with oil to prevent sticking.

8. 8

   Pull off small pieces of dough and shape them by hand into rustic rounds or elongated shapes.

9. 9

   Carefully drop the dough pieces into the hot oil.

10. 10

    Fry until the zeppole are golden brown and puffed up, turning as needed.

11. 11

    Remove from the oil and drain briefly.

12. 12

    Generously dust the warm zeppole with sugar before serving.

Notes

Nonna Pia emphasizes doing everything by hand rather than using a machine. The dough should be 'softer' than standard bread dough. Oiling your hands is a key tip for handling the sticky dough during the frying process.

Nutrition per serving

• snack
• dessert
• Italian
• fried
• vegetarian
• street food
• traditional