Friselle
Friselle are a summer bread from Apulia, dating from when fishermen and travellers needed bread that would not spoil. They are rings of semolina and flour dough, baked, split in half and dried in the oven until hard as rusks. Before eating they are dipped briefly in water and topped with tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and salt. The top softens with the tomato juice while the inside stays crunchy. Dry, they keep for months.
Your own work in that: 30 min.
- Mixing 15 min
- Rising 120 min
- Shaping 15 min
- Proving 45 min
- Baking 20 min
- Drying 90 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneKnead the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the water, add the semolina, flour and oil, then the salt. Knead 10 minutes, until smooth and springy. Durum combined with wheat flour gives friselle their crunch and golden colour.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
Leave to rise
Cover and leave somewhere warm for 2 hours, until doubled. Friselle need no open, holey crumb — they should be tight, so once dried they do not shatter into crumbs.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
Shape the rings
Divide the dough into 10 pieces of about 80 g. Roll each into a 20 cm rope and join the ends into a ring, pressing firmly. Poorly joined rings open up in the oven.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
A rope, the ends pressed firmly into a ring.Prove on the tray
Set the rings on a lined tray, cover and prove 45 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 200°C.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
Bake to golden
Bake 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Do not brown them deeply — they darken further in the second bake.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
Split while warm
Once the rings are cool enough to hold, split each horizontally in half. Traditionally this is done with string or thread — it tears the crumb unevenly, and the rough surface later soaks up water and tomato juice better.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
With string — a rough cut soaks up tomato juice.Dry at a low temperature
Lay the halves cut side up and dry in the oven at 120°C for 1.5 hours, until hard and dry right through. Cool in the switched-off oven. Store in a tin or paper bag — they keep for months.
Ingredients: 250 g durum semola rimacinata · 250 g strong bread flour · 300 ml lukewarm water · 10 g fresh yeast · 10 g salt · 1 tbsp olive oil
Dip and top with tomatoes
Before serving dip a frisella in cold water for 2–3 seconds, shake off and set on a plate. Top with chopped cherry tomatoes, drizzle generously with oil and sprinkle with oregano and salt. After 5 minutes the tomato juice softens the top while the base stays crisp.
Ingredients: 300 g cherry tomatoes · 4 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp dried oregano · ½ tsp salt
Two seconds in water — no longer.
Before you start
Do not soak too long
A frisella dipped for more than a few seconds turns soggy and falls apart. It should take up just enough water to be chewable. The tomato juice and oil do the rest.
Other toppings
In Apulia friselle are also eaten with rocket, capers, tuna, anchovies or fresh stracciatella. Always with plenty of olive oil — the defining flavour of this simple meal.
A barley version
Friselle are traditionally made with barley flour, orzo, too, giving darker, more rustic rings. Replace half the wheat flour with barley flour.
