Celebrate Christmas Eve with Italian Fried Dough (Screppelle)-a soft, loose dough fried to golden perfection and rolled in sugar for a festive treat.
I cannot even begin to describe how delicious my family recipe for Italian Fried Dough is.
From the very first bite, you're greeted with a crispy exterior that gives way to a soft, pillowy interior. And because these Italian donuts are rolled in granulated sugar, there's just the right hint of sweetness to make them irresistible.
I've said time and again that I try to avoid fried foods whenever possible. Usually, I'll look for ways to replace frying with baking.
But being of Italian origin, there are a few exceptions to my "no-fry" rule-and these exceptions usually happen around Christmas.
One of our family's favorite Italian fried dough with honey is Struffoli, or, as you might know them, Italian Honey Balls. Made from a no-yeast dough, they're formed into tiny balls and deep-fried for just a few minutes. As they fry, they puff up into light, crispy bites, ready to be drenched in honey.
Another exception is Crostoli, an equally delightful Italian fried pastry. This no-yeast dough rolls out paper-thin, fries to perfection in seconds, and finishes with a dusting of icing sugar. You've never tasted anything as light and flaky!
Are you drooling yet? I know I am…
Today, I'm sharing another one of my cherished exceptions. My nonna, who was from Molise, called them Screppelle-an elongated Italian donut.
If your family has Italian origins from Southern Italy, you may know them as scarpelle, scripelle, or even crispelle. If you're from Northern Italy, you might call them frittelle, and they'd likely be round instead of elongated.
I'll do my best to describe the process of making these, and I've also included a video in the recipe card to help you see exactly how they're made. I'm so excited to share this authentic family recipe with all of you!
Jump to:
Step-by-step instructions for prepping the potato yeast dough
Start by peeling 2 medium potatoes (we need approximately 225 grams or one heaping cup once boiled and riced).
Cut them into chunks and place them in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil. Cook them until they are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and use a potato ricer or mash them until smooth. Let the riced potatoes cool slightly.
Once the potatoes are ready, let’s proof the yeast. In a small bowl, combine 2¼ teaspoons (8 grams) of active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and ¼ cup of lukewarm water (about 100°F or 38°C). Stir well and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. This step ensures the yeast is active.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 4 cups (568 grams) of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Give it a quick whisk to combine.
Now, add the cooled, riced potatoes, the yeast mixture, and 1½ cups of lukewarm water (around 100°F or 38°C) to the flour. Using the dough hook attachment, mix everything on low speed until it comes together into a loose, sticky dough.
Turn the mixer up to medium speed. Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes. The dough is soft and sticky, but that's exactly what you want!
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and set it in a warm, draft-free spot. Let the dough rise until double in size-this usually takes about 1½-2 hours.
Step-by-step instructions to make Italian Fried Dough
Once your dough has risen, it's time to set up your frying station. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet with 2-3 inches of vegetable oil and heat it to 375°F (190°C).
Prepare a large plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil from the fried dough.
Since the dough is soft and sticky, lightly oil your fingertips before handling it. This will make it easier to release the dough in an elongated shape. Keep a small bowl of oil nearby so you can reapply as needed while shaping.
This recipe for Italian fried dough is a two-person activity! One person should shape and drop the dough into the oil, while the other focuses on frying, turning, and removing the cooked fritters. Working together makes the process smoother and safer.
Now for the fun part!
Rub a little oil on your fingertips and pick up a small portion of dough, about the size of a golf ball. The dough will be sticky and gooey-think of those papier-mâché projects from childhood! Gently stretch it into a rough log or ribbon shape and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Don't worry about perfection! Just be careful to avoid splashing.
Fry a few pieces at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Turn the fritters frequently as they fry to ensure even cooking. Once they're a light golden color, use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them on the paper towel-lined plate.
While the fritters are still warm, coat them generously in granulated sugar. My mom used to toss them in sugar, but I prefer sprinkling it over the top.
Enjoy these fried Italian pastries-crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy inside, with just a hint of sweetness.
Tips
- The consistency of the dough should be lighter than pizza dough.
- Before you start frying, ensure you have your slotted spoon, paper towels, and sugar prepared. This keeps the process smooth and efficient.
- Maintain the oil at a steady 375°F (190°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the heat. If the oil is too hot, the fritters will brown too quickly and remain raw inside. If it's too cool, they'll absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Fry only a few pieces of dough at a time. Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature, leading to uneven cooking and soggy fritters.
- Since the dough is sticky, lightly oil your fingertips each time you pick up a portion to prevent it from sticking.
- These are best eaten the day they are made.
FAQ
Neutral oils like vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil are ideal for frying screppelle. They have a high smoke point and won't overpower the flavor of the dough.
Yes, you can freeze screppelle, but the taste and texture won't be as good as when freshly made. Allow them to cool completely after frying, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to serve, thaw them at room temperature then bake at a low temperature to warm them up. Best if consumed within one month.
Fried Italian desserts
Recipe Origin
Ever since I can remember, these fritters would be made on the morning of Christmas Eve Day.
In the dialect of my paternal grandmother, we refer to them as scr’pell, which is spelled as screppelle.
This is an old family recipe with its origins from Ripabottoni, in the province of Campobasso, in the Italian region of Molise.
The dough was made Christmas Eve morning and fried in batches just in time for lunch. which consisted of this Saint Joseph’s Day Spaghetti Recipe (made twice in the year; once for Christmas Eve lunch and once on March 19th) and baccalà (salt cod) with oven-roasted potatoes. These screppele would be part of the Christmas dessert line-up, along with an endless assortment of cakes and Italian Christmas cookies.
I can still envision my paternal grandmother and my mom making this yearly treat. My grandmother would be shaping and dropping the dough in the hot oil; my mom was responsible for ensuring they were fried to golden perfection.
There are so many variations of this recipe. My maternal grandmother would make a savory version with anchovies. The recipe I am sharing with you today is the one that I grew up with – a simple potato yeast fritter, shaped into a 4-5 inch log-like shape.
After my grandmother passed away, the lead was taken by my mom. When I was not working, I would be the official helper, otherwise, this role was assumed by my Dad.
My mom and nonna, both of whom have since passed, never measured their ingredients. With years of practice, they relied on instinct, adding everything "by eye" until the dough felt just right. Watching them in the kitchen was like witnessing a well-rehearsed performance, where precision came naturally. Though I've learned so much from them, I still depend on measurements-it takes a lifetime to master their level of expertise, and I cherish the memories of how effortless it all seemed.
The tradition continues; now I take charge of this recipe, helped by my husband.
It never ceases to amaze me how certain foods have the power to bring us back in time and elicit so many wonderful memories.
For my dear family, friends and all of you that are celebrating Christmas, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas. And for those not celebrating Christmas, I hope the weekend is full of love, happiness and some wonderful moments!
Buon Natale a tutti ♥
Recipe
Italian Fried Dough: Screppelle (frittelle)
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Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 8 grams
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 4 cups all purpose flour 568 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium potatoes boiled and riced (about 225 grams or 1 cup)
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
for frying:
- 3-4 cups vegetable oil or canola
for garnish:
- granulated table sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and water.
- Stir and let stand for 10 minutes (will get foamy).
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, mashed potato, and water with the dough hook.
- Add the yeast mixture and knead for about 10 minutes. Please note that the dough will be extremely soft.
- Cover and allow to double in size. This will take about 2 hours.
- When the dough is ready, heat up the oil for deep frying (375°F)
- Stretch a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and drop it in the oil.
- When they achieve a light golden color, remove them from the oil, and place on the plate lined with paper towels. This should take 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat until there is no dough left.
- Sprinkle with granulated sugar while the fritters are warm.
- These fritters are best the day they are fried.
- WATCH THE VIDEO ON THE RECIPE CARD TO SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE THIS ITALIAN FRIED DOUGH RECIPE!
Video
Notes
- The consistency of the dough should be lighter than pizza dough.
- Before you start frying, ensure you have your slotted spoon, paper towels, and sugar prepared. This keeps the process smooth and efficient.
- Maintain the oil at a steady 375°F (190°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the heat. If the oil is too hot, the fritters will brown too quickly and remain raw inside. If it's too cool, they'll absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Fry only a few pieces of dough at a time. Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature, leading to uneven cooking and soggy fritters.
- Since the dough is sticky, lightly oil your fingertips each time you pick up a portion to prevent it from sticking.
- These are best eaten the day they are made.
Nutrition
I originally published this post on December 24, 2016, and republished it on December 6, 2024, with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing.
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Teresa
Hi Maria
I was searching your site trying to remember all the deserts I had growing up but did not know the names of. The Screppelle (Italian Donuts) is one my mother makes religiously for Christmas and Easter but we call them “Cipolli” like Angela. However, We also make them as a savory treat with cheese in the center or anchovies and sometimes mum puts sultanas in the center.
Its good to know these recipes are being saved for all to enjoy and appreciate.
As with some Italian recipes each region has a different name for the same dish as is evident with this recipe as my heritage is Southern Italian, namely Calabrese now based in Sydney, Australia.
I can guarantee that I will be adding your site to my favorites tab.
Thank you.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Teresa. My maternal grandmother (from Benevento) would make them savory, with anchovies and sultanas. I guess I was partial to my dad’s family version (from Campobasso) as we lived with my paternal grandparents. I agree the names of recipes can sometimes be so confusing. My daughter-in-law’s family is Calabrese… there are so many wonderful recipes from this region that I would love to document! Thank you so much for your support, appreciate it!
Angela
I can’t believe I found someone who has the same Christmas Eve tradition. However, in my family they are called Cipolli. It is fabulous that you are carrying on the tradition for your family. It’s my job to do the same since my grandparents passed the torch 20 years ago. My family prefers them savory so I don’t top them with sugar. As an alternative, you can leave them plain and they become a wonderful replacement for regular bread with pasta sauce. I also make manicotti (with crepes) for the holiday. It feels like my grandparents are still with us.
My tip is to use Canola oil for frying because it has a higher smoking point. This makes a huge batch and the house can fill with smoke from all the frying. Open a window and have fun with different shapes. I’ll do sticks, rounds, and even try for some ribbons or figure 8s. Thanks for sharing this with the world!
Maria
Thanks so much Angela. I absolutely agree with you, by keeping these wonderful food traditions, we are keeping the memories of loved ones alive… and it does feel like they are still with us. Thanks for the tip. Buon Natale to you and your loved ones!
Joanne Vanelli
Thank you so much for this recipe. It means a lot to me as my mother made these for us every Christmas Eve and she just passed away in November. We are honoring her this Christmas Eve by making these donuts. We are Calabrese and they are called something I can’t even spell, but the recipe is exactly the same, and like your mother and grandmother, my mother never measured anything. So I will be a bit nervous making these for Christmas Eve tomorrow, but I wanted to thank you for this. Family tradition is a treasure.
Merry Christmas!
Doris (Terzino) Regan
I’ll be trying your recipe this year. I too have many fond memories of my grandmother and mother frying the Screppelles and eating them as they came out of the hot oil! My gran came from Francavilla (as best I remember ) and she did much of all the traditional Christmas Eve cooking even the seven fishes.
My question is can this dough be frozen?
Thanks for your insite
Maria
I would do the same thing Doris! Lots of special memories… I agree!
As you know these are best the day they are made. That being said, you ask a very good question. I have never tried. I do freeze my pizza dough as well as the dough for my cinnamon buns, so I would think it should be okay to freeze this dough. I would be very interested in your results if you do decide to freeze it. Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it!
Josee
Hello, and thanks for this wonderful easy to prepare recipe. Taste heavenly. Wanted to ask you if you could use this type of dough to make a pizza. Or is the dough to soft to prepare it with this recipe. I just love this dough with the potatoe in it.
At christmas i made them several times.
Thank you, brought back memories.
Maria
My pleasure Josee! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. That is such a genius idea Josee! You know I have never tried it… but I am thinking it just might work… I would probably add a little more flour to get more structure in the dough. I’m working on a couple of recipes right now for Easter… but I will definitely give it a try. If you try before me, I would love to hear about your results.
I agree Josee, this recipe brings me right back to my childhood… every single time ♥
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with this screppelle recipe, appreciate it!
Mary Stacey
I made this for the first time since my mother passed away.I used to always help my mother as you need two people . I never made the dough as it was already to go by the time I went to help my mother. I would eat a bunch as we fried them. Well they turned out excellent for my first time and my brothers said “they are as good as moms”. The only thing is that they were not enough , we were 12 people but everyone was eating around 3 or 4. I am making them again tomorrow for my brothers birthday, why wait for only Christmas. Can the recipe just be doubled? Thanks a million for the recipe.
Maria
Happy Birthday to your brother!
I am so happy to hear this ♥ Yes, in fact my mom and grandmother would make a huge batch of these screppelle. I think you can double up on the recipe without any problems as you know the consistency of the dough. Just in case, you can always adjust to that consistency either by adding more water or flour. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with this recipe, appreciate it!
Rosemary
I was happy to see a potato yeast dough! My mother made them Christmas Eve but put a whole anchovie fillet in the middle and my youngest son just loved them! He still loves anchovies and do you think that I could try this dough for a savoury application? There is only a minute amount of sugar to proof yeast, so the dough itself would not be sweet!
Maria
Absolutely Rosemary. In fact, I remember some of my aunts would make theses Italian donuts with anchovies. My dad was not to fond of them and so my grandmother (and mom) would leave them out. Great comment! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Barbarito-Levitt Paula
Thank you for bringing this very special recipe wrapped in family history to all of your readers. Although I am familiar with many of the fried treats we Italians celebrate with, I had never heard of Screppelle. Potato adds a lightness to any dough and this particular batter must produce feather like pieces of heavenly goodness. I thought that my frying for 2016 was over, but perhaps not. Happy New Year to you and your family Maria, I look forward to traveling the culinary road with you in 2017.
Sharon
We make these every Christmas Eve. I get up at 6 am to make the dough. My daughter shaped them and my nephew fries them. We have to hide them to keep guest s from eating them before dinner. Tradition for 63 years. We too put anchioves in some. We make those in the shape of balls and leave long ones plain. We serve these instead of bread so we don’t put sugar on them!
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Sharon.
Mary Di Lillo
Had a smile when I read you blog. My parents are both from Campobaaso and just last night while celebrating Christms Eve with my family. My brother and I were talking to my mom ablout, when she used to make as fritters for Christmas Eve and in February for Carinaival week.
Will share this recipe with my mom and brother.
M
Maria
Aren’t we lucky to have so many wonderful memories! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Wishing you and your family all the best during this holiday season 🙂
Rosa
I love this story! How wonderful that you and your daughter are carrying on this tradition. I also wish you and your family Happy Holidays!!!
Maria
Grazie Rosa ♥
Phyllis
OMG!
I just finished frying some Zepolle. They were a delicious Christmas Eve tradition. I had never made them myself. I only watched my how they were made. As I was mixing the dough I wished I had written down the proper proportions of potato and flour. Then when I opened my email: There was your blog for Christmas Eve fritters. THANK YOU! Your recipe will now be my new traditional recipe as both my children (adults now) grew up eating the zepolle at Christmas and always ask me to make them.
Maria
Hi Phyllis – your comment brought a big smile to my face. Thank you for writing! I started this blog to help keep my family’s traditions alive, and it’s so good to hear about others doing the same. Happy holidays to you and your family. 🙂
Fran
Wow you are a ‘molisana’ just like me. I’m born and raised inOntario but parents from molise region. This recipe is how my mother makes the screpelle on Christmas Eve. Yes with potatoes. We sprinkle them with sugar while they’re hotand keep eating them as they are addictive. Love your blog and keep the recipes coming.
Maria
Thanks so much Fran! It never seizes to amaze me how some of the best memories of our childhood and young adulthood are associated with so many food traditions from the “old country”. Appreciate you taking the time to comment. Wishing you and your family all the best during this holiday season 🙂