Ciambelle ciociare

Ciambelle ciociare, typical of Lazio cuisine, are a savory bread in the shape of a doughnut flavored with anise seeds. Ciambelle ciociare are a typical dish of Lazio, in particular of the Frosinone area. It is a savory bread with a doughnut shape and flavored with anise seeds; It is also known by the name of Ciammella. I learned about the recipe thanks to to my mother, originally from Ciociaria but living in Canada for years. Tradition, craftsmanship and simplicity are intertwined in the preparation of this delicious bread that I explain to you how to prepare at home. The secret to preparing excellent ciociare donuts is in the dough. This means that after you've worked it out a bit on your countertop, it's important to let it sit for a few minutes before picking it up again. Repeat this process 2-3 times and thus obtain a perfect and very soft dough. Then there is another typical custom of the preparation of this bread: the cross that is often engraved on top of the dough before letting it rise, is in this case made with the fingers and not with the knife, as a symbolic gesture.

Shaping the ciociare donuts is the most laborious part of the recipe, but it can be easily tackled with a little attention and dexterity. The first thing to do is to divide the dough in half and knead each part to form a long "tail". With these two tails, a ring is formed, leaving one end out and keeping one flap longer than the other. The longer flap is then braided and closed to form a knot. Let's not worry too much about aesthetics: what matters is that they will undoubtedly be delicious!

Ingredients

500 g flour

1 egg

300 ml water

1 tsp anise seeds

7 g dehydrated brewer's yeast

1 tsp sugar

To activate the yeast

1 tsp Fine salt

Preparation

Add the dehydrated brewer's yeast to the flour and stir adding a teaspoon of sugar to help the rise. Meanwhile, pour the lukewarm water into a bowl and break the egg. We also add the anise seeds and a teaspoon of salt. Stir and start adding the flour a little at a time. Knead with your hands and when it becomes a little more consistent, move to the surface. Knead the dough, then let it rest and knead it again. We repeat this procedure 2-3 times. Put it in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in volume. It will take about an hour. Take the dough and knead it for a moment on the floured surface. Divide the dough in half and knead each part to form a long tail. To give the shape to the donuts, we create a ring by leaving one end out and keeping one flap longer than the other. We weave the longest flap and close forming a knot. Now let's spread the doughnut with our hands. Let the doughnuts rise for another 20 minutes. In the meantime, heat the water in the pot and turn on the oven. When it boils, add salt, spread a donut with your hands and put it to boil. Cook for 15-20 seconds on each side, then drain on a tea towel and put the second donut in the water. Put both donuts on a rack and bake for 30 minutes at 210° C. Remove from the oven and let it cool down before enjoying our delicious ciociare donuts.