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Sicilian staples


Sicilian staples

Soft, fragrant and covered in sugar, Sicilian graffe are a breakfast must. Here's how to prepare them!

Today we are going to discover a dessert that is never missing in the windows of Sicilian bars and pastry shops. The staples, sometimes called staples , have a soft, fragrant dough that is fried in oil and then dipped in sugar . The most famous Sicilian staples are those from Catania and the shape can be either a bow or a donut .

They owe their name to the influence of the Austrian language, in particular to the term krapfen which, coincidentally, indicates a similar dessert. The preparation follows the steps of any leavened product and does not hide any particular pitfalls. So let's see all the steps in detail.

Dough that rises
Dough that rises

Ingredients

For Sicilian staples

  • Flour 00 – 250 g
  • Manitoba flour – 250 g
  • Granulated sugar – 80 g
  • Whole milk (or water) – 200 ml
  • Eggs – 2
  • Butter – 70 g
  • Organic Orange – 1
  • Vanillin – 1 sachet
  • Fresh brewer's yeast – 10 g
  • Fine salt – 8 g

For frying

  • Seed oil – to taste

To complete

  • Granulated sugar – to taste

Preparation

How to prepare the Sicilian graffe recipe

1

First, warm the milk (or water) and dissolve the yeast .

2

In a bowl, combine the two flours , the sugar , the vanilla , the grated orange zest and give a quick mix. Pour in the milk and start kneading with a spoon.

3

Then add the eggs and mix everything until the mixture begins to take consistency. If you want, you can carry out all the steps in a planetary mixer equipped with a leaf hook.

4

Now all that remains is to incorporate the butter at room temperature one piece at a time, allowing it to be absorbed gradually.

5

Leave everything to rise in an oiled or buttered bowl until doubled. It will take about 2-3 hours.

6

At this point, cut portions of dough of 70 g each and work them on a pastry board to obtain a loaf approximately 30 cm long . Close it by staggering the two ends so as to obtain a sort of bow and leave to rise again on a baking tray lined with baking paper for 30 minutes.

7

In a pan, heat plenty of vegetable oil to a temperature of around 160°C . Fry the clips one or two at a time so as not to lower the temperature of the oil excessively and, when they are well swollen and golden , drain them with a slotted spoon and pass them on absorbent paper. While they are still hot, roll them in granulated sugar and serve.

We also leave you a short video where you can see exactly how to give Sicilian staples their characteristic shape.

There are several variations of this recipe. For example, there are those who don't use eggs and those who replace butter with oil or lard. In all cases, the important thing is to have a well-leavened dough and fry it at the right temperature.

The more attentive will have noticed some similarities with the Neapolitan staples but be careful not to confuse them!

Graffe with ricotta

Trapanesi graffe are a variant of the proposed recipe which includes a filling made of ricotta and chocolate chips . Although Trapani is in Sicily, in the city the dessert is prepared with a similar dough which is however given the shape of a ball. After leavening, we proceed with frying and cutting.

If you wish, you can prepare some following this alternative recipe. For the filling , mix 250 g of ricotta, 50 g of sugar and 50 g of chocolate chips . Fill generously just as you usually do with similar desserts (for example, Maritozzi ).

Conservation

The staples will keep in a paper bag for a couple of days even if, like all fried foods, they are better freshly made.

Read also
Let's discover a dessert of Sicilian origins: iris with ricotta

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