Gnocco Fritto: Italian Fried Dough Appetizer

Gnocco Fritto is an Italian appetizer very popular in central Italy. A deep fried dough so crispy on the outside and puffy in the inside which is served with various cured meats and cheese.

The airy puff pieces of fried dough are served just straight from the frying pan, so when served it will warm the cured meat just enough to bring out the flavors.

A glass of a good red wine and you’re ready to rock an amazing Italian antipasto.

What is gnocco fritto?

Gnocco Fritto is a traditional recipe from Modena, Bologna and Reggio Emilia. It is know with various names that depends in which region of Italy is served. The most common is Crescentina which comes from crescere (grow) referring how the dough puffs and rise when frying. But it can be find also with other names like torta fritta, chisolino or pinzino.

• The recipe is basically a fried dough made with flour, lard, water and salt. After kneaded, the dough is left to proof until doubled in size, then cut into rectangles, rhombus or circles.
• The pieces are deep fried in lard or oil and served as an antipasto with various Italian cold cuts such as prosciutto, salame, mortadella, etc.
• Nowadays, gnocco fritto has become a street food served frequently in public festivals and gatherings, as well as an special appetizer for Sunday lunch.

A personal note

When I make gnocco fritto at home and have people coming over, I like to ask them to bring some of their favourite salumi. So, sometimes there are like 8-10 types of them at the table.

Then, while someone is setting up the table, someone else will open a bottle of wine and the rest of us will be in the kitchen cutting, frying and serving gnocco fritto alongside with other antipasti such as bruschetta al pomodoro, or pizza dough balls.

Food brings people together and making this appetizer is one of the things I love to do at home, everyone enjoys being involved and I love watching how happy they are by helping me.

About the ingredients

Those on the picture below are the ingredients needed for gnocco fritto dough. I just want to add a quick note about the flour:

The recipe calls for bread flour, this means you’ll need a flour with a good protein content, no less than 10-11%. Some brands of all purpose flours are sometimes strong enough to even make bread with it, so, look on the label of your flour package to know how much protein has.

Gnocco Fritto Recipe – Step by Step

Pour 1/4 cup of the water in a bowl. Add yeast, honey and mix until yeast dissolve. Add 4 tablespoons of flour and mix until you’ll obtain a runny dough (poolish). cover with cling film and leave it to rest for 15 minutes in a warm environment.

You can leave the poolish in the kitchen countertop or place it inside the oven with the lights on to create a warm environment. After 15 minutes, the dough should be bubbly and raised like the photo below.

Place flour in a medium bowl. Mix salt with the remaining water on a cup until dissolved and add it to the bowl with flour. Add also the yeast mixture, and lard.

Mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined. You can also use a stand mixer.

Transfer the dough to a working surface and start kneading. You’ll find the dough is a bit dry at the beginning, but just keep working. You can also use one or two tablespoons of water if needed.

After 20 minutes of kneading by hand (or 8-10 in an electric stand mixer), you’ll end with a smooth, non-sticky, and elastic dough. So, shape it into a ball.

Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Leave it to proof in a warm place until doubled its size.

Depending on the room temperature, it will take from 1.5 to 2hrs for the dough to raise. The photo below shows my dough after almost 2 hours.

Dust with flour a working surface. Transfer the dough and cut it in two pieces of about same weight. Cover one of the pieces with cling film while working on the other.

Roll the dough into a flat long and thick sheet.

Cut the dough into rhombus (or rectangles) about 8cm (3″) size. Roll and cut also the remaining piece of dough.

In a frying pan heat a good amount of frying oil or lard. Working in batches fry the dough pieces until they puff, flipping them two or three times and taking them off the oil when they will be crispy and start o brown.

As the gnocco is coming out the oil, place them in a paper lined plate and serve while they’re still warm alongside with sliced cured meats and cheese.

More Italian Appetizers

• Mozzarella Fritta
• Zeppole With Zucchini
• Whipped Ricotta With Roasted Veggies
• Mozzarella & Mushroom’s bruschetta
• Pickled Eggplants

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