Let's discover the original recipe of pettole, the exquisite Apulian pancakes, and how to prepare them without resorting to frying
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In Puglia it's time to pettole! Let's discover the original recipe of the exquisite pancakes of the Taranto tradition and how to prepare them without resorting to frying
November 22 is Santa Cecilia ea Taranto the period of the Christmas holidays is officially inaugurated. And if there is a specialty that cannot be missing on the Apulian tables these days it is the pettole, the exquisite fried balls of leavened dough, served mainly as an appetizer.
According to a legend that has been handed down for generations, this delicacy was born by chance thanks to a woman from Taranto who let the bread rise too much during the night of Santa Cecilia because she was distracted by the fascinating music of the bagpipers around the streets of the city. When she realized that the dough was no longer good for making bread, she then decided to make balls and fry them in oil. The name "pettola" comes from the Latin pittula, diminutive of pitta, or focaccia.
To prepare the pettole you need few ingredients, but it is important to follow the steps correctly to make them soft. Let's find out what the original recipe provides and two other versions to keep yourself light and avoid frying.
Read also: Rice pancakes: 10 recipes for all tastes
The original recipe
Ingredients (for about 30 pettole)
- 500 00 grams of flour
- 400 ml of water
- 10 gr of fresh brewer's yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 liter of seed oil for frying
Preparation
First sift the flour into a large bowl. Dissolve the brewer's yeast in a little slightly warm water and add it to the center of the mountain of flour. Pour the water gradually over the flour, add the salt and begin to knead vigorously for about a quarter of an hour in order to incorporate air. Try to get a sticky and homogeneous dough, but without lumps.
Now cover the bowl with cling film or a cotton cloth and let it rise for a couple of hours. When the volume of the dough has become double and filled with bubbles, it means that it is time to move on to the frying phase. Heat the seed oil in a large pot. Wet a spoon and take the dough into a ball, pushing it into the oil with the help of your index finger or another spoon. Turn the pettole often and cook over medium heat until they seem golden enough. Gradually place them on a plate on a layer of absorbent paper in order to remove excess oil.
Your Pugliese pettole are ready to be served. You can enjoy them in a salty version as an appetizer or with a sprinkling of icing sugar as a dessert.
Baked Apulian Pettole
If you want to avoid frying, there is also a much lighter version of the traditional Apulian recipe that involves cooking in the oven.
Ingredients (for about 25 pettole)
- 200 00 grams of flour
- 200 grams of Manitoba flour
- 170 ml of warm water
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 12 gr of fresh brewer's yeast
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation
Combine the two flours in a large bowl and add the yeast in a cup with 10 tablespoons of warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Add the rosemary and salt. Add the rest of the warm water a little at a time and start kneading with your hands until you get a soft and homogeneous dough. Now cover the bowl with cling film or a cotton cloth and let it rise for about 3 hours. When the volume of the dough has become double, form balls with your hands and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let them rise for another half hour, covering them with a cloth and then bake for about 20 minutes at 180 ° C.
Pettole from Puglia cooked in an air fryer
Finally, another way to prepare the light version of the pettole di Santa Cecilia is to cook them in air fryer. To do this, you need to follow the steps of the traditional recipe. When after at least two hours the dough has risen, you need to form balls with your hands. At this point, set the air fryer to 200 ° C and heat for 15 minutes. Once heated, cover the bottom of the fryer basket with a little parchment paper and place your pettole (leaving some space between the balls to prevent them from sticking) and cook for ten minutes. Taste them warm.
Bon appetit!
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