Torta Fritta (fried Dough Italian Style)

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• peanut oil or lard, for frying

Recipe

• 1 in a small saucepan, combine milk and 1 1/3 cups water. heat to 110f or until warm to touch; remove from heat.
• 2 in a large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, yeast and salt; make a well. add olive oil and warm milk mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until dough just starts to form.
• 3 turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, adding more flour by the tablespoon as needed to keep dough from being too sticky, about 15 minutes.
• 4 transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean dishtowel, and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
• 5 punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. roll out to a ¼ inch thick rectangle, and cut into (about 50) 2 by 3 inch rectangles, transferring cut pieces to a sheet of parchment paper with space between each piece.
• 6 fill a deep saucepan with 1½ inches peanut oil and heat to 365f fry dough pieces in batches, turning them before they are halfway done, until puffed and golden brown on both sides, about 1½ minutes total.
• 7 using a slotted spoon, transfer torta frittas to paper towels in order to drain. serve immediately.