Gnocco Fritto
A recipe for Gnocco Fritto from the cookbook, Italian Street Food! These rectangles or triangles of dough are fried until puffed and golden.
Servings 15 -20 Fried Bread Squares
Ingredients
- 300 grams (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30 grams (1 ounce) cold unsalted butter diced
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 150 milliliters (5 fluid ounces) tepid water 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)
- 1 teaspoon salt scant
- Grapeseed, peanut or sunflower oil for frying
- Sliced prosciutto or salame to serve
Instructions
- Tip the flour onto a clean work surface and make a little well in the centre.
- Place the butter in the well and work it into the flour with your fingertips. Sprinkle over the yeast and pour in the water, a little at a time, incorporating it as you go.
- Finally, sprinkle over the salt and combine well. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, by which time it should be smooth, soft and elastic. Alternatively, you can make the dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment on low speed.
- Transfer the dough to a medium-sized bowl, cover with an upturned plate and set aside to rest in a warm draught-free place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 3-4 millimeter (1/4 inch) thick rectangle.
- Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut out 8 centimeter x 10 centimeter (3 1/4 inch x 4 inch) rectangles. You can also cut triangles or diamonds if you like.
- Heat 3-4 centimeters (1 1/4-1 1/2 inches) of oil in a heavy-based saucepan (or use a deep-fryer) to 190˚C (375˚F). Test the heat of the oil by dropping in some pastry scraps. If they sizzle straightaway, the oil is ready.
- Carefully drop in 1-2 'gnocchi' (depending on the size of your pan). They will take 30-40 seconds to cook on each side and will puff up quite a bit. When one side is golden, flip over and cook the other side.
- Drain on kitchen towel and eat warm or cool, served with slices of prosciutto or salame.
- These are best eaten on the day they are made.