Crispy Scorpelle Recipe | Puglian Christmas Eve Tradition
Scorpelle
Scorpelle
Ingredients
- 850g robust white bread flour
- 50g whole wheat flour
- 22g salt with additional for garnish
- 450g levain mixture
- oil for deep-frying
- 50g active 100% hydration starter (refer to tip)
- 100g strong white bread flour
- 100g plain wholemeal flour
Instructions
Step 1
Start your levain by stirring 50g of your active starter into 200ml of lukewarm water in a small bowl. Add equal parts white and wholemeal flour—about 100g total—and mix until no dry spots remain. Cover with a tea towel or loose lid and let it sit at room temperature until bubbly and roughly doubled in size, about 4 to 6 hours. While that works, combine 850g of white flour and 50g of wholemeal flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour in 620ml of lukewarm water and use your hands to bring the mixture together—just until it forms a shaggy dough with no visible flour streaks. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes so the flour can fully hydrate.
Step 2
Here's your expanded Step 2 with warm, conversational instructions: **Step 2: Bringing the Dough Together** In a large bowl, sprinkle 10g of salt over your dough, then add 450g of active levain. Using your hands, pinch and squeeze the mixture together with a folding motion—think of grabbing the dough with your fingers and pulling it over itself—until no dry flour remains and the levain is fully worked in. This should take about 3-4 minutes of enthusiastic mixing. Cover your bowl tightly with a damp tea towel or transfer everything to a clean container with a lid. Let it rest at room temperature (around 70-75°F) for 3-4 hours, but don't just walk away! Every 30 minutes during this first rise, perform a series of stretch-and-folds: wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, then fold it over the center. Repeat this 4-5 times going around the bowl. You'll know it's ready when the dough feels smooth and elastic under your palms, with a slight tackiness that doesn't stick aggressively to clean fingers. Once it's doubled in size and passes the windowpane test (when you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it), cover it well and slide it into the refrigerator for an overnight cold ferment—we're talking 12-16 hours of slow, flavorful development.
Step 3
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until it's roughly doubled in size and feels soft and airy when you gently press your finger into it. The dough should jiggle slightly when you move the container—that’s your sign it’s ready. While the dough warms up, lightly oil or flour your work surface so the dough won’t stick. Once it’s ready, gently stretch or pat it into a rectangle about 1cm thick, then use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut it into pieces that weigh around 100g each (or 50g if you’re making smaller scarpelle). You don’t need to be exact—just weigh one piece first, then eyeball the rest to match. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the shaping and pinch small pieces straight from the container, dropping them directly into hot oil for frying.
Step 4
Grab a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and pour in enough oil to fill it about halfway up the sides. Heat the oil until it reaches 182-187°C (360-370°F) — you can test it with a small piece of dough, which should sizzle vigorously and rise to the surface. While the oil heats, line a baking sheet with paper towels so your finished scorpella have somewhere to drain. Working in small batches, carefully drop a few pieces of dough into the hot oil, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon until they're puffed and golden brown, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer the cooked pieces to your prepared tray and immediately sprinkle with salt while they're still hot. These are absolutely divine right away, so dig in with some aged cheese or cured meats!
Nutrition Information
My Tip
Keep your oil temperature steady around 175°C (350°F) — too hot and the scorpelle will burn before they puff, too cool and they'll absorb oil and turn dense. A single cube of dough dropped in should sizzle and rise to the surface within seconds.
Leftovers
Store leftover scorpelle in a paper bag inside a loosely sealed container to preserve that shatteringly crisp crust—keeps well for 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer for 5 minutes to bring back the crunch.
Make It Your Own
Swap the strong white bread flours for gluten-free alternatives like rice flour and tapioca starch, and replace the levain with a gluten-free sourdough starter to maintain that tangy depth while keeping the recipe completely gluten-free.