Made simply of eggs, flour, butter, and sugar, crostoli are perfectly crisp and delicate sheets of fried dough, dusted in powdered sugar. For this recipe, I combined two recipes of two great chefs: pastry chef Iginio Massari and my mom : )
CROSTOLI DOUGH: In a medium-sized bowl, combine both types of flours, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Using a fork, whisk in the lightly beaten eggs with rest of the dry ingredients. While whisking, gradually add the melted butter and the grappa (or your liqueur of choice). Transfer your dough onto a clean work surface and start kneading until you obtain a smooth ball. For better results, beat the heck out your dough ball with a rolling pin a few times (10, 20?). Wrap the dough ball in plastic film and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
ROLL & CUT: Divide the dough into 8 smaller portions and keep the unused portions covered with a kitchen towel.
Roll: Using a pasta machine, roll out one portion, dusting it with flour at every passage. Starting from a wide setting, feed the dough through the pasta machine 2-3 times, folding the dough to obtain an even rectangle. Work your way to a very thin setting (I usually go from 3, to 5, to 7).
Cut: Cut the thin sheet of rolled dough into rectangles, about 6-7 cm (2.5-3 inches) wide. Cut a slit lengthways along the center of each rectangle (this will help avoid big bubbles during frying).
Cover: Cover the rolled dough with a kitchen towel so it doesn't dry out. If you don’t have anybody helping you, proceed to frying as the rolled dough shouldn’t rest too long. You'll then repeat the whole process, working in batches.
DEEP-FRY: Pour about 5 cm/ 2 inches of peanut oil in a medium-sized saucepan and set it over medium heat. When the oil temperature registers 175 C/ 345 F, start frying your crostoli (3–4 at a time). When they are light gold and crisp, drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a tray lined with paper towel. Dust with powdered sugar. Repeat with the the rest of the dough, working in batches, and reheating oil in between.
Crostoli are best enjoyed within the first 2-3 days. Keep them covered with a paper towel so they stay fragrant and crispy.
Recipe by Very EATalian