Non-VegetarianEmiliana-Romagnola cuisine Starters

Gnocco Fritto

Name: Gnocco Fritto
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Emiliana-Romagnola
Ingredients: 500 g tipo 00 flour; 50 g strutto; 15 g Fresh yeast; 125 ml Whole milk; 125 ml sparkling mineral water; 10 g Fine sea salt; 4 g caster sugar; 500 g strutto for frying

Crisp, golden pillows of puffed fried dough from Emilia, served piping hot alongside cured charcuterie and soft cheeses.

🇮🇹Italy· Emilia-Romagna

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 490 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

500 g tipo 00 flour — or strong plain flour
50 g strutto — rendered pork lard, softened at room temperature
15 g Fresh yeast — crumbled
125 ml Whole milk — lukewarm
125 ml sparkling mineral water — lukewarm
10 g Fine sea salt — dissolved during kneading
4 g caster sugar — a small pinch to activate yeast
500 g strutto for frying — or neutral frying oil

Equipment

•Mixing bowl
•Rolling pin
•Fluted pastry wheel
•Deep frying pan
•Slotted spoon
•Kitchen paper

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 490 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 58 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 10 g
calories: 490 kcal

Instructions

1
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm milk inside a small jug.
2
Sift the flour into a large bowl and create a well in the centre.
3
Add the softened strutto (rendered pork lard), yeast mixture, and sparkling water into the well.
4
Mix with your hands until a rough dough forms, then incorporate the salt.
5
Turn onto a worktop and knead firmly for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
6
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and rest for thirty minutes.
7
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to three millimetres thickness.
8
Cut the rolled dough into diamond shapes using a fluted pastry wheel.
9
Heat the frying strutto or oil in a deep pan to 180°C.
10
Fry a few dough diamonds at a time until they puff and turn golden.
11
Turn each piece once and fry for one minute until crisp and hollow.
12
Transfer with a slotted spoon to kitchen paper and serve immediately while hot.

Chef's tips

Maintain the frying fat around 180°C so the dough inflates rapidly into hollow pillows without absorbing grease. Sparkling mineral water provides natural aeration for a delicate, blistered crust.

Ingredient substitutions

strutto (rendered pork lard) → extra virgin olive oil in the dough and peanut oil for frying, though the traditional flavour will be lighter
fresh yeast → 5 g dried active yeast dissolved in the warm milk

Storage

Gnocco fritto must be eaten freshly fried, as it quickly loses its crisp texture and airy puff.

Reheating

Warm any leftover pieces in a hot oven at 180°C for three minutes to refresh the crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Rolling the dough too thickly, preventing it from inflating into light, hollow pockets.
•Frying at too low a temperature, which leaves the pastries heavy and saturated with fat.
•Overcrowding the pan, causing the frying temperature to drop suddenly.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately with a platter of Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella di Bologna, and Salame di Felino.Tear open hot puffs and spread with soft squacquerone or stracchino cheese.Accompany with a chilled glass of sparkling Lambrusco di Modena.