Name: Zeppoles
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups (6 2/3 ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup warm water (110 degrees); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil , for frying; Confectioners' sugar

Why This Recipe Works

To create a light and airy version of these Italian fritters, we use two leaveners: baking powder and yeast. We fry the sticky dough at 350 degrees, which yields a crispy exterior that doesn’t get too dark by the time the interior has finished cooking. A dusting of powdered sugar lends a good deal of sweetness and makes the zeppoles worthy of any street fair.

Before You Begin

This dough is very wet and sticky. If you own a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, you can combine the batter in it to make it easier to tell when it has doubled in volume in step 1. Zeppoles are best served warm.

Instructions

Combine flour, granulated sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk water and vanilla into flour mixture until fully combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 15 to 25 minutes.

Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.

Using greased tablespoon measure, add 6 heaping tablespoonfuls of batter to oil. (Use dinner spoon to help scrape batter from tablespoon if necessary.) Fry until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of zeppole comes out clean, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping once halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees.

Using slotted spoon, transfer zeppoles to prepared wire rack; roll briefly so paper towels absorb grease. Transfer sheet to oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat twice more with remaining batter. Dust zeppoles with confectioners’ sugar and serve.