Ingredients:
175 ml – 5.9 oz. water
500 gms – 1.1 lbs flour
4 gms – 0.15 oz. yeast
70 gms – 2.5 oz. lard
10 gms – 0.35 oz. salt
1 tsp sugar

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 50 ml – 1.7 oz. of lukewarm water, stir well and add 2 tbsp of flour.  Mix well until you get a smooth batter.  Let it rest for half an hour.

In the meantime, dissolve the salt in the remaining lukewarm water.  Now put the rest of the flour and lard in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the hook attachment.  Add the batter and the salty water to it.  Knead for a few minutes until you get a smooth and pliable dough.  Make it into a ball and make a cross on it with a knife.  Sprinkle it with flour and keep it aside to rise.  The original recipe called for 4 hours of proofing time, but I was in a hurry and allowed it only 2 hours.  They came out just as perfect… so if you do not have 4 hours to spare, it is ok to keep it for less.

Now you can roll the dough into a 3 mm – 0.1 inch thick sheet and cut out 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) long diamond shapes.

Deep fry them in hot vegetable oil until golden and puffy.  Transfer them onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.

Serve warm with cheeses and cold meats (you can also slice them in half and make “sandwiches” with them).  They are perfect with salami, mortadella, prosciutto and soft or semi soft Italian cheeses.

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