Bread and Butter....: Italian tradition

Sardinian fried doughnuts!!!

20:50

Hello everyone!!! Last Sunday was my birthday and I think I'm really lucky to celebrate it on Carnival season in Italy. I rather have some fritters or doughnuts instead of the usual birthday cake. I love this ones, typical from Sardinia island....this is my mum's recipe but I converted it to use my sourdough starter instead of the active yeast. I've never made them so tasty, puffy and soft....there are really no words to describe them....just amazing! In Sardinia they are called " Parafrittusu" or Fatti Fritti...you got to try them.

 SARDINIAN FRIED DOUGHNUTSINGREDIENTS

200g stoneground flour
250g very strong flour
200g semi skimmed milk
100g liquid levain starter (100% hydration)
50g natural brown sugar
50g lard
2 eggs
3g salt
Seeds of a vanilla pod or vanilla essence
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 liquor glass of limoncello
Frying oil
Caster sugar to dust

In the mixer bowl, using the flat beater, dissolve the levain starter with the milk. Add some flour, just enough to form a soft dough until it comes off the sides of the bowl.Mix on low speed, add 1 egg and and immediately after 1/3 of the sugar and flour. When all the ingredients are incorporated add 1/3 of sugar, more flour and knead . Finally add the orange juice, limoncello, the citrus zest, vanilla essence, salt and the remaining sugar and flour. Knead well all the ingredients until well combined on a medium-low speed until you have a smooth dough and it comes off the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the lard at room temperature in pieces, a bit at the time. Make sure the first dose is well combined before adding more lard. Knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic and you reach windowpane stage. Transfer dough into a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to rise until tripled in size. Divide the dough into equal pieces (about 20), shape each piece into a doughnut, place them into a well floured surface, cover and allow to rise for 1h and 30 mins until doubled in size. Meanwhile heat te oil until it reaches the temperature of 170ºC and fry doughnuts in a large and tall saucepan 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to sit on kitchen paper to drain off the excess of oil. Dust and cover the doughnuts with caster sugar and enjoy!

bread

Breadsticks with chia seeds!!!

23:28

Desserts and cakes

Tiramisú with homemade ladyfingers!!!

04:47

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hi again....here I am with another sweet recipe that has been a great success!!! Not long ago I had a friend for dinner. We had this tiramisu for dinner....and he did really enjoyed it, when I told him I made the tiramisu' and also the ladyfingers he had a second and third helping. So that for me was the best compliment....
The recipe for the Ladyfingers is from the Larduree' book I bought in Paris last summer.
But here it the recipe of the biscuits and my classic tiramisu' recipe!

 TIRAMISU' WITH HOMEMADE LADYFINGERS
Ladyfingers

30g flour
60g potato starch
2 eggs
60g sugar
icing sugar to dust

Sieve the flour and potato starch . Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a large bowl beat the yolks with half of the sugar until pale and foamy. In another bowl whisk egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff picks form.Fold in gently the egg whites with the beaten yolks. Add the sieved flour and corn starch, fold in mixture from top to bottom, with a spatula until you have a smooth, soft and foamy mixture. Transfer batter into a piping bag and form the ladyfingers into a baking tray. Preheat oven at 170ºC. Dust the ladyfingers with icing sugar, allow to rest for 10 minutes then dust them again with the icing sugar. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool.
Tiramisu'

3 eggs
100g sugar
250g mascarpone cheese
1 cup of strong coffee
About 20 ladyfingers
Cocoa powder

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a large bowl beat the yolks with half of the sugar until pale and foamy. In another bowl whisk egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff picks form.Add the mascarpone to the beaten yolks and fold in gently then fold in gently the whisked egg whites. Dip the ladyfingers into the strong coffee and arrange them into a glass dish. Cover the ladyfingers with the eggs and mascarpone mixture and repeat the process with another layer. Dust the tiramisu' with cocoa powder and refrigerate for a few hours.

bread

Rosette soffiate: Italian bread

05:43

For the Italian version click here!!!
Oh Finally I manage to post this bread recipe....one of my favourite ones...Not really easy to make, and they are not really perfect but really good! I love them with just a slice of parma ham....but the best way to have this is with mortadella!!!! Lush....my mouth is watering just to think about this panino.

 ROSETTE BREADINGREDIENTS for 4 buns
Starter:

200g strong flour
10g dehydrated sourdough
87.5g of water

Dough:

20g strong flour
1 teaspoon salt
4g dehydrated barley malt
27.5g of water
Extra virgin olive oil to brush

The night before mix quickly all the ingredients for the starter. Knead quickly for 3 minutes. The dough will still be quite dry and hard. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave it to rest overnight for 16 to 20 hours at room temperature (20º).I've started to knead around 22:30 and went back to mix the final dough around 15:30 the day after. With the kneading machine knead the starter with the 20g of flour, malt and the water. Knead at low speed for 6 minutes using the dough hook. At this point add the salt and knead for 7 minutes at medium speed until dough is smooth and soft and well around the dough hook (see the step by step picture). Transfer dough in a lightly floured worktop, cover with clingfilm and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough, no too thin, with a rolling pin, and fold into four. Watch this video, it's really easy. Cover the doug and allow to rest for 15 minutes, then repeat this step once or twice. Roll out the loaf and form a ball. Brush dough with extra virgin olive oil, cover with clingfilm and a cloth and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls (around 80g each).  At this point shape the rosette bread using the special tool, or simply an apple slicer (That's what I used). Place them upside down on the floured worktop, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour. Pre-heat oven at the maximum temperature. with a small pan of hot water to create the steam. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 200ºC and continue cooking for 20 minutes, until golden brown, spraying water inside the oven once in a while.