PITTULE SALENTINE

Ingredients:

– 1 kg wheat flour
– 25 g brewer’s yeast
– salt
– warm water
– extra virgin olive oil Congedi (for frying them)

Procedure:
You mix the flour with the yeast dissolved in warm water with a little salt. The difficulty is to knead very well and for a long time to be able to obtain a very soft dough, almost the consistency of a cream. Place the dough in a large container and let it rise, for at least two hours, covered and in a warm place.
The technique for making pittule needs some practice. You take a bit of dough with your left hand, clench your fist and pop out a small ball between your bent thumb and forefinger. With your right hand you peel off the ball and drop it into plenty of hot extra virgin oil. To see it being made is disarmingly simple, while to make it…
The pittule will be cooked when they have taken on a golden color.

Variants:
Stuffed pittule calls for the addition of boiled vegetables such as cauliflower, turnip greens, lampascioni, celery, salted anchovies and boiled salt cod. Another recipe, “alla pizzaiola,” calls for the dough to be mixed with sautéed onion, tomato, capers, black olives, desalted salted anchovies, and chili peppers.