Friselle are a kind of donuts without a hole; of durum wheat flour; of barley flour added to a small percentage of durum wheat flour, in the case of the so-called barley friselle, and of soft wheat, in the case of the so-called friselline. This kind of donuts are cooked whole, then split and finally made to biscuits. They keep very well for a few months.
History
The friselle arrived in Salento probably with the first Greek navigators who apparently used it as biscuits, but their large-scale diffusion occurred when, less than a century ago, with the decline of the feudalism, typical buildings spread in the countryside house, the “furneddhi”, where the peasants often spent the summer with the aim of obtaining supplies for the winter.
The remoteness of the villages, the precariousness of the transport and the lack of furnishings and facilities necessary to bake bread, soon imposed the need to find an alternative, the alternative offered by the friselle that could be kept for months in the ” capase ”
The friselle, an authentic masterpiece of sobriety, intelligence and flavor, are bathed in water once in the water of the sea) and seasoned with oil from the mill, local cherry tomatoes, oil and oregano. Sometimes they are enriched with other condiments such as: rocket, peppers, fennel in vinegar, in this case they are called “friseddhe ncapunate”
Preparation
The mixture with water and salt is completely the same as that of bread but with 10% less water. For barley grain friselle, mother yeast is traditionally used, at the rate of 200-220gr per kg of flour. The dough is then left to rise, shaped in the shape of a donut without a hole. They are subjected to a first firing in a stone oven, with direct flame fueled by olive branches. Once cooked, they are extracted from the oven and cut in two according to the horizontal median axis with the help of a string or a sort of arch joined with iron wire. They are then baked in the oven. The friselline are leavened with brewer’s yeast and usually a small amount of olive oil is added to the dough.
Our “frise” at the Locanda are made as Luciano taught us, in the old way, with mother yeast and are served with our own production or local products … the authentic flavors of Salento are in the ingredients of a vote, wisely combined, natural, cultivated slowly and carefully stored.