Looking to recreate the delightful frisella at home? Dive into the world of Apulian cuisine with this recipe inspired by the master baker himself, Fulvio Marino. Don’t worry, you can’t go wrong following his expertise!

But first, let’s explore a bit of frisella history. Originating in the 10th century BC, frisella was a staple of Phoenician navigators — a hard bread for long voyages, softened with sea water and enriched with flavorful olive oil. Today, it remains a beloved treat in Apulia, Campania, Calabria, and Basilicata. Friselle are cooked twice in order to preserve them for a long time.

Ingredients: (Makes about 20 pieces)

• sifted durum wheat semolina 18 oz
• whole meal wheat flour 18 oz
• water* 23 oz
• sourdough 9 oz
• salt 0.7 (about 4 teaspoons)
• extra virgin olive oil 0.7 (about 4 teaspoons)

Method:

Mix all the flour with 20 oz of water and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature (75°F is good).

After 1 hour, add the sourdough, 2 oz of water, and begin kneading. After the water has been absorbed, add the salt, remaining water*, and olive oil. Mix until you achieve a smooth dough.

Form a ball with the dough, place it in a bowl, cover with damp kitchen towel, and let it rise for 1.5 hours at room temperature.

After the leavening time, shape the dough into balls, approximately 7 oz each (you can make them smaller if desired). Allow them to rise again for 1 hour, covered, at room temperature.

Once the dough has finished rising, form the frisella by pressing the center with your finger to create a hole, and slowly widen it (but not too much!).

 Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the friselle on the tray, cover them with a kitchen towel, and let rise for another 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 475° F.

Bake the friselle at 475° F for approximately 25 minutes or until they turn golden on the surface.

Remove them from the oven and once they have cooled down enough to handle, cut them in half.

Allow them to cool completely on a rack.

Once cooled, return the friselle to the oven at 250° F for about 50 minutes. This step will toast them and eliminate any remaining moisture from inside.

Once the friselle are golden brown and dry, remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Store them in tightly sealed storage bags or tin boxes to keep them fresh.

Now it’s time to unleash your creativity! Soak your friselle,** then top with juicy tomatoes, aromatic basil, drizzles of extra virgin olive oil, capers, olives, tuna, or any of your favorite toppings; even pesto or another delicious pasta sauce!

Buon appetito!

* To avoid a tough dough and to improve the texture, when using an American bread flour brand I usually add more more water than with comparable Italian brands. The reason is that American flour contains more proteins and gluten, thus the need of more liquids when kneading (fortheloveofslice.com, 2023).

Tips for preparation

** Before serving you must soak friselle in water; the word is “sponzare” in the Salentino dialect (dialettosalentino.it, 2018). The soaking time varies depending on the type of frisella, its freshness, and individual preferences. Some prefer them softer, while others enjoy a little crunchiness.

Whether you choose to rub friselle with garlic or not depends on your personal taste. To enhance the flavor, top them with fresh tomatoes cut into cubes or rubbed on the wrinkled surface of the bread (which retains the juices beautifully). Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a dash of oregano for an explosion of taste.

Puglia is renowned for its dairy products, making friselle a delightful summer meal when paired with tomatoes, mozzarella, or a refreshing burrata.
Enjoy this authentic culinary experience and let your palate be transported to the heart of the Mediterranean. Friselle, a true taste of Puglia’s charm and traditions.

References

dialettosalentino.it. (2018, March 24). “Il dialetto salentino come si parla a Scorrano”, di Giuseppe Presicce – spunzare. http://Www.dialettosalentino.it. http://www.dialettosalentino.it/spunzare.html

Eataly. (n.d.). Meet Fulvio Marino. Eataly. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://www.eataly.com/us_en/magazine/culture-and-tradition/meet-fulvio-marino

Feudis, di S. de. (2022, July 29). Cinque abbinamenti facili da realizzare tra cibi e vini pugliesi. Pugliosità. https://pugliosita.it/2022/07/29/cinque-abbinamenti-facili-da-realizzare-tra-cibi-e-vini-pugliesi/

fortheloveofslice.com. (2023, April 5). American Flour vs Italian Flour: Understanding the Differences and Their Applications – For The Love Of Slice. Fortheloveofslice.com. https://fortheloveofslice.com/american-flour-vs-italian-flour-understanding-the-differences-and-their-applications/#:~:text=The%20main%20difference%20between%20American

Giordanovini.it. (n.d.). Panzanella pugliese, ricetta e abbinamento | Blog | Giordano Vini. http://Www.giordanovini.it. Retrieved July 21, 2023, from https://www.giordanovini.it/blog/panzanella_pugliese_ricetta_e_abbinamento

https ://blog.giallozafferano.it/cucinaconsaretta/, & Marino, F. (2022, August 24). Friselle di Fulvio Marino. Cucina Con Saretta. https://blog.giallozafferano.it/cucinaconsaretta/ricetta-friselle-di-fulvio-marino/

Kochetkova, M. (2021, November 5). Charming, Creative and Masterful: Fulvio Marino Talks About His Life-Long Passion for Baking. InTrieste. https://www.intrieste.com/2021/11/05/charming-creative-and-masterful-fulvio-marino-talks-about-his-life-long-passion-for-baking/

Redazione. (2023, July 4). Friselle, frise e mascuotto: l’antico pane cotto due volte è il re dell’estate. Ricette Di Cucina – Le Ricette Di GialloZafferano.it. https://www.giallozafferano.it/friselle-frise-e-mascuotto-l-antico-pane-cotto-due-volte-e-il-re-dell-estate

Silva, G. D. (2019, July 14). VinGustandoItalia, una cena veloce ma stuzzicante … tra Fresella e Negroamaro…. Il Mediano. https://www.ilmediano.com/vingustandoitalia-una-cena-veloce-ma-stuzzicante-tra-fresella-e-negroamaro/

tenuterubino.com. (2017, August 21). I VINI PER L’ESTATE SECONDA PARTE: I ROSATI DI TENUTE RUBINO. Tenute Rubino. https://www.tenuterubino.com/i-vini-per-lestate-seconda-parte-i-rosati-di-tenute-rubino/

Wikipedia. (2023, May 30). Frisella. Wikipedia. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisella