Gnocchi Fritti (Fried Dough)
Ingredients:
- Lard 2 ½ tbsp (35 g)
- Flour 00 4 cups (500 g)
- Sugar 1 tsp (5 g)
- Fine salt 2 ½ tsp (15 g)
- Water ½ cup (125 g)
- Whole milk ½ cup (100 g)
- Baking powder 1 tbsp (12 g)
- Vegetable oil to fry
- To prepare gnocchi fritti (fried dough) first mix the water with the milk. Pour the flour, baking powder for savory preparations, sugar and salt into a bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients, then incorporate the lard. Knead with your hands and pour the milk and water mixture as an uninterrupted stream. Once the dry ingredients have absorbed the liquids, transfer the dough to a properly floured pastry board.
- Form a compact and dry small loaf of dough, place it inside a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let the dough rest in a cool place for at least one hour and up to 12 hours. After this time, take the dough again, sprinkle the pastry board lightly with flour and divide it into small loaves with a knife.
- Take a small loaf (cover the rest with the bowl) and flatten it with a rolling pin until you get a very thin sheet, 1/16-inch thick. Cut the edges of the pastry sheet with a wavy pastry cutter. Then cut 4x3-inch (8x7 cm) rectangles. You should get about 50 pieces. Don't throw the cuttings away, just knead them back together.
- Once cut out, cook the rectangles of dough in hot oil at 340°F (170°C) for about 1 minute, not more than 3-4 pieces at a time. Once golden on one side, turn them over and cook the other side. Drain on absorbent paper and continue with the remaining pieces of dough. Your gnocchi fritti are ready, enjoy them hot paired with delicious wine and lots of prosciutto!