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Zeppole
Here's a dish that appears in just about every Sons
of Italy community cookbook you run across -- and no
two recipes are alike. Zeppole -- basically, fried
dough -- can be made sweet, savory or both; served
hot, warm, or at room temperature, at any time of
the day; and can come from a dough that is as runny
as pancake batter or as stiff as firm bread dough.
Just as every American has his or her own special
doughnut, apple pie, or chocolate chip cookie
recipe, so does every Italian have his or her own
zeppole formula.
Dough
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon non-fat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Filling
one 2-ounce can flat anchovy filets, anchovies
rinsed and separated*
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
*You should have 16 anchovy pieces. If not, divide
one or more of the bigger pieces in half.
Manual Method: In a large mixing bowl, or in the
bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the dough
ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Knead
the dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by machine (5
minutes) till it's smooth. Place the dough in a
lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rest for 1
hour.
Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough
ingredients into the pan of your machine, program
the machine for Manual or Dough, and press Start.
About 10 minutes before the end of the second
kneading cycle, check the dough and adjust its
consistency as necessary with additional flour or
water; the finished dough should be soft and supple,
but not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface,
and divide it into 16 pieces, about 1 3/8 ounces
(40g) each. Working with one piece at a time,
flatten the dough into a rough 4 x 2-inch rectangle.
Lay an anchovy piece lengthwise over the dough, and
space 5 to 6 raisins and a sprinkle of pine nuts
along the anchovy. Fold the short edges of the dough
over the ends of the anchovy, then pinch the long
edges together to completely enclose the filling.
Roll the dough to make a smooth log about 4 1/2
inches long. It's important to seal the log as well
as possible, otherwise the zeppole will split open
during frying. Repeat with the remaining pieces of
dough and filling.
While you're working with the dough, heat vegetable
oil (or your preferred frying oil) in a deep fryer,
a wide saucepan, or in an electric frying pan to a
temperature of 385°F to 390°F. (The zeppole can be
fried in oil as shallow as 1/2 inch, but 3/4 to 1
inch is easier.)
Transfer the zeppole, one by one, to the hot oil.
Don't crowd them; using a 12-inch skillet, we were
able to fry five at a time without the temperature
of the oil fluctuating too wildly. Fry the zeppole
for about 5 minutes, turning once; they should be a
medium-golden brown. Transfer the zeppole to paper
towels or to a flattened brown paper bag to drain.
Serve zeppole warm or at room temperature. Yield: 16
zeppole.
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