Neapolitan zeppole (also traditionally called graffe), are a typical fried sweet found in pastry shops all over Campania: soft donuts made with a leavened dough of potatoes, fried and covered with powdered sugar. Similar to the Austrian ‘krapfen,’ but with a hole in the center, Neapolitan fried zeppole can be enjoyed all year round, although Carnevale is one of the most popular times to try them. Here is our recipe for zeppole with soft potatoes.
Recipe for Zeppole with Potatoes
Serves 10
Ingredients:
7 cups Manitoba flour
1 lb potatoes
11 oz eggs
5 oz sugar
½ cup of milk
½ cup butter
1 oz brewer's yeast
1 tsp salt
Powdered sugar
Method:
Cook the potatoes in boiling water. Let cool and remove the skins. Crush them with a potato masher.
On a clean work surface, make a fountain with the flour. Add the eggs, baking powder, sugar, softened butter and mashed potatoes in the center. Knead the dough slowly (by hand or with a kneading machine) – incorporating the milk little by little until the dough becomes smooth.
Add salt and knead for another 10 minutes. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes at room temperature. It is important that the leavening takes place at a constant temperature of 80°F without drafts or currents.
Cut the dough into pieces and create loop shapes (like a typical donut). Let rise once more on a surface covered with flour for about two hours or until the dough doubles in volume.
Fry each donut for about two minutes in plenty of hot seed oil, turning them to cook on both sides. It is important to fry a few zeppole at a time: wait until the first side is slightly golden and then proceed with the second. Drain them of excess oil using paper towels, but make sure not to crush them! Cover in powdered sugar and serve hot.
Fried Potato Zeppole: three tips for making them at home
The first suggestion concerns the dough: our recipe is a basic dough, but it can also be enriched with various extracts like vanilla or even some limoncello could work! And why not add a little grated lemon or orange peel?
Once the dough is ready, start creating the shape of the zeppole immediately by hand. For a more precise shape, roll out the dough until 1 cm (about half inch) thick and use a dough cutter to obtain dough circles. With the help of your thumb, pierce the center for the donut shape.
Finally, for a little something extra… Cover the fried zeppole with powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon. And for the sweet tooths out there? We know you won’t be able to resist zeppole filled with chocolate, hazelnut or lemon cream. Just make the cream and using a sac à poche, fill the zeppole before serving. Yum!