Zippulas
Golden, spiral-shaped Sardinian fritters scented with saffron, citrus, and aniseed, also called tzìpulas in Sardinian. They are crisp outside, airy inside, and rolled in sugar.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Deep frying pan or wide saucepan
- •Piping bag with wide round nozzle or funnel
- •Slotted spoon
- •Cooking thermometer
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 380 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Steep the saffron threads in two tablespoons of warm milk for fifteen minutes.
- 2
Dissolve the fresh yeast and sugar in the remaining lukewarm milk.
- 3
Whisk the semola and plain flour together in a large mixing bowl with the salt.
- 4
Add the orange juice, grated orange zest, brandy, yeast milk, and saffron infusion.
- 5
Beat the wet dough vigorously by hand for ten minutes until smooth, glossy, and stretchy.
- 6
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and rest in a warm spot until doubled, about two hours.
- 7
Pour the oil into a wide pan and heat to 170 degrees C.
- 8
Fill a piping bag fitted with a wide round nozzle with the soft batter.
- 9
Pipe spirals into the hot oil, starting from the centre outwards.
- 10
Fry for two minutes, flipping once, until puffed, crisp, and deep golden orange.
- 11
Drain the spirals on paper towels and immediately roll them generously in caster sugar.
- 12
Serve warm while crisp.
Chef's tips
The batter should be very soft, sticky, and elastic, closer to a heavy batter than a firm bread dough. Keep the oil temperature strictly between 165 and 175 degrees C so the fritters puff fully without absorbing excess grease. If you do not have a piping bag, wet your hands and shape long rings directly over the hot oil.
Ingredient substitutions
- filu 'e ferru → aniseed liqueur, grappa, or fresh lemon juice
- fine semola rimacinata → strong white bread flour, though semolina provides the classic Sardinian chew
Storage
Zippulas are best eaten fresh within a few hours of frying, but leftover fritters can be kept at room temperature in a paper bag for one day.
Reheating
Warm uncovered in an oven preheated to 160 degrees C for five minutes to restore crispness before dusting with fresh sugar.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Making the dough too stiff, which prevents the fritters from puffing into light, airy spirals.
- •Frying at too low an oil temperature, resulting in greasy, heavy pastry.
- •Allowing the sugar to sit on cold fritters, which makes the exterior soggy instead of crisp.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Zippulas?
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