Zeppole
An Italian fried doughnut that is crispy, golden brown and delicious on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Zeppole are made with a simple no-knead dough, and dusted with powdered sugar, which gives them a sweet finish. Traditionally served during the Christmas holiday season or during Italian festivals during the year, they are loved by all, young and old.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 packet of instant yeast or about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2-2 1/2 cups of warm water
- Confectioners' sugar, for serving
- Neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except for the water in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or strong rubber spatula. Slowly pour in the warm water, leaving a half cup to the side.
- Add more flour and water as necessary to work it into a smooth better, a moist stretchy dough. The consistency should be sticky and loose but not wet.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in size. Afterwards, don't overwork, overstir or overknead the dough – the goal is that we like it to be light and airy with lots of air bubbles.
- In a large deep skillet or deep fryer, heat your vegetable or canola oil until at least 375°F.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop in the dough right into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. The zeppole should be crispy on the outside and airy and pillowy on the inside. Note: You can reuse the same oil for additional batches.
- Drain the zeppole on a baking sheet lined with a rack, paper towel or parchment paper.
- Pour a generous amount of confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and toss the zeppole into it, coating them thoroughly on all sides. Serve immediately.
