Place flour on a wooden board. Shape into a well (form the flour into a well). Start with 3 cups and evaluate how much of the ¼ cup you need to add as you knead the dough.
Place the ingredients, one by one, in the center of your well, while whisking with a fork.
Continue to whisk while slowly incorporating the flour.
Keep incorporating and kneading the dough. Switch to a dough scraper to help with this whole process.
When the dough comes together, knead for about 10 minutes or until shiny and smooth.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least one hour.
Alternatively, you can use your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook to knead the dough.
Shaping the dough
Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut the dough in half. Repeat 2 more times to obtain 8 pieces of dough.
Roll out each piece of dough into a long rope about ½ inch in diameter. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough.
Line up 2 strands of dough and with the help of a pastry cutter or a knife, cut them into ½ inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough between the palms of your hands to resemble a small marble. Place on a large parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat this process with the rest of the strands of dough.
In a wide, heavy pot or electric fryer, preheat vegetable oil to 375°F (190°C).
While waiting, line a cookie with a few layers of paper towels.
Use a slotted spoon or a large spider to lower 10-15 pieces of dough into hot oil at a time. Swirl pieces of dough until golden brown. This should take about 1½ -2 minutes.
Fish them out with your slotted spoon or spider and transfer them to the paper-lined tray to drain.
Continue frying the dough in batches.
The honey coating
In a small saucepan, over low heat, combine 1 cup of honey with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Heat for a few minutes until the honey becomes runny.
While waiting, transfer the warm pieces of fried dough to a large mixing bowl.
Pour the hot honey glaze over the struffoli. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, combine gently until well coated.
Place honey-coated balls on a platter and garnish with lemon zest and sprinkles (if desired).
Video
Notes
1 portion is about 5 struffoli.Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.