Italian · Emilia-Romagna · bread

Gnocco Fritto

Gnocco Fritto reads richness 8.0, umami 7.0 and salinity 6.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian · Emilia-Romagna bread, about 2 hr 2 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 8.0 · Umami 7.0 · Salinity 6.2 · Funk & Ferment 4.0 · Sweetness 1.1 · Nutty 0.7

What's in it (8)

Time & effort: about 2 hr 2 min (12 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 355.2 kcal, 13.6 g protein, 14.6 g fat, 42.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

  1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and water and leave 10 minutes until it froths.
  2. Mix the flour and salt, add the yeasted liquid and the 50 g soft lard, and knead 8 to 10 minutes until you have a smooth, firm, slightly springy dough that is drier than a bread dough. Cover and prove 1 hour 30 minutes, until roughly doubled.
  3. Roll the dough out on a floured board to a sheet 2 to 3 mm thick, no thicker. Cut it into 8 cm diamonds or squares with a fluted wheel. Leave them uncovered for 10 minutes; a very slightly dried surface puffs better.
  4. Melt the frying lard in a deep pan and bring it to 180 C. Lard is what Modena and Parma fry these in and it is not interchangeable with oil: it fries drier and the flavour is the point. If you cannot get it, say so honestly rather than pretending the oil version is the same dish.
  5. Fry two or three pieces at a time for 40 to 60 seconds a side. They should balloon within seconds into hollow golden pillows. If they sit flat, the fat is too cool or the dough is too thick. Drain briefly on a rack.
  6. Serve immediately, blisteringly hot, with the cured meats draped over them so the fat of the prosciutto begins to melt against the bread. They deflate and toughen within five minutes, which is why in Emilia they are brought to the table in relays.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.