Torta Fritta (Fried Dough Italian Style)
- 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
- In a small saucepan, combine milk and 1 1/3 cups water. Heat to 110F or until warm to touch; remove from heat.
- 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.
- 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.
- Transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean dishtowel, and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll out to a 1/4 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.
- Fill a deep saucepan with 11/2 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 11/2 minutes total.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer torta frittas to paper towels in order to drain. Serve immediately.
milk, flour, yeast, coarse sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/torta-fritta-fried-dough-italian-style-365488 (may not work)