Friselle

Name: Friselle
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 0.4 cup; Water 3 ½ tbsp; Fresh brewer's yeast 0.125 oz; Semolina 1.875 cups; Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups; Water 1.375 cups; Fine salt 1.8 tsp

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262

Calories per serving

Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Energy Kcal 262
Carbohydrates g 45.9
of which sugars g 1.2
Protein g 6.7
Fats g 5.7
of which saturated fat g 0.86
Fiber g 1.9
Sodium mg 531

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Makes: 10 pieces
Cost: Very low
Note + 5 hours of rising

PRESENTATION

Friselle are a staple in southern Italy—really. You'll find them all over, from Salento in Puglia to Calabria and Campania. What makes this friselle recipe unique is how the bread gets baked twice. That's what makes it crispy and super durable. People use local flours or even old sourdough, and you’ll see all sorts of shapes—big rings or small rounds. That double bake? It gives these Italian friselle a golden, crunchy texture that folks love to dunk in water before adding their favorite friselle toppings. Seriously good.

In those coastal towns, especially during summer, friselle bread pops up at every table—topped with ripe tomatoes, a splash of olive oil, and a sprinkle of oregano. And look, the tradition started as a way to save old bread, but now it is a summer favorite. And everyone in southern Italy really enjoys it when the weather’s hot. It's so fresh and easy.

It's cool how each family or bakery in Salento or Calabria has their own spin on homemade friselle. Some like more whole grain, others prefer a lighter touch, but they all deliver that crunchy and tender mix once you soak them. Pretty simple. The bread gets moist after a quick dip, but still holds together for all kinds of toppings—from tomatoes and basil to tuna, or even a bit of cheese.

This traditional Italian bread is so practical. You can just grab it off the shelf for a quick meal or snack. Folks even make a friselle salad with chopped tomatoes and onions on top. Plus, whether you're picnicking or just want a simple bite at home, Italian friselle totally fit the bill. Trying the different regional versions? It's really fun and makes the whole experience more special. People get pretty excited to share their favorite combos. And you know what, friselle bring that laid-back southern Italian vibe to your table. No question. You don’t need anything fancy—just good ingredients, a bit of time, and some friends to enjoy it with.

INGREDIENTS

262

Calories per serving

Ingredients for the starter dough: Type 00 flour 0.4 cup (50 g); Water 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Fresh brewer's yeast 0.125 oz (3 g)

for 10 friselle: Semolina 1.875 cups (300 g); Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups (310 g); Water 1.375 cups (330 g); Fine salt 1.8 tsp (10 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Friselle

To prepare the friselle, start with the starter dough. Pour the water into a small jug and dissolve the yeast inside 1. Then pour the flour into another bowl, add the water and yeast mixture 2, and mix with a fork 3.

When you have obtained a smooth mixture 4, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume 5. At this point, move on to the actual dough. In a larger bowl, pour both the flour and the semolina 6.

Mix with a fork to combine the two flours 7; then slowly pour in the water 8 and start kneading with your hands 9.

Once you have finished adding the water, also add the starter dough 10 and knead again. Then add the salt 11 and knead once more.

At this point, transfer the mixture onto a work surface and knead it for about ten minutes 13. When it is smooth, shape it into a ball 14 and transfer it to a large bowl 15.

Cover with plastic wrap 16 and let rise for 2 hours at room temperature, or until doubled 17. Then transfer it back onto the work surface 18

and without overworking it, form a loaf 19. Then divide it into 5 pieces of 7.4 oz 20. From each piece, form a loaf about 14-16 inches long 21

and close it into a ring to form a donut 22. Gently press to join the two ends of the dough. Place the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them well apart 23, and let them rise for about 1 hour 24.

Then bake in a preheated static oven at 428°F for 20 minutes, then remove them 25 and let them cool on a wire rack in the middle shelf. Lower the oven temperature to 338°F, and when the donuts have cooled, cut them in half horizontally with a serrated knife 27.

Place them back on the baking sheet with parchment paper 28 and bake again for 40 minutes. Then lower the oven to 320°F and wait another 40 minutes. In this way, the friselle will dry out well inside, and if they turn out too pale, raise the temperature to 356°F until they turn golden on the surface; it will take about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven 29 and let the friselle cool. At this point, you can store them or "sponsorle" before dressing them to taste with oil, salt, pepper, cherry tomatoes, basil 30, or other ingredients such as small mozzarella balls, anchovies, tuna...

Storage

Friselle can be stored for 8-10 days in a paper bag in a dry environment.

Advice

The second baking should be done immediately after splitting the donuts in half; this way, you will get the right consistency and the typical roughness, so that when moistened (sponsored), they evenly absorb all the water and soften perfectly to be dressed and consumed.

You can prepare the dough in the evening or morning and let it rise in the fridge for 8-10 hours instead of the 2 hours of rising. If you prefer, you can also use whole wheat flour, adjusting the amount of water to use based on the consistency of the dough.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.