Friselle are an authentic Apulian delicacy, a quick recipe to prepare especially in summer for a snack, an appetizer or a real meal, in effect they can replace a lunch or a dinner.
They are mainly produced in Puglia, anyway there are some different versions in other areas of South of Italy; in the past when the flour was in short supply in famine periods, friselle were considered a good alternative to bread as they could be stored for longer thanks to the traditional crunchiness.
They were consumed during travel or lunch breaks from the fishermen, farmers or soldiers for example, and infact friselle are known as “Bread of the Crusaders”.
The typical rounded and holed shape allowed to be easily carried and tied up together and they were eaten a bit wet and softened.
The frisella is realized with wheat flour (sometimes a mix of flour), water, salt and yeast; after giving the round size as a donut, it is cooked in the oven for about half an hour , then cut in half with a yarn and baked again to reach the perfect crunchy texture.
You can simply drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, small pieces of tomatoes, salt and oregano or basil.
Or according to your taste, you can add also cheese and vegetables.
In Salento area the frisella is called frisa, it is cooked with barley flour and it has no hole in the middle.
Well, the Apulian cuisine has a wide range of suggestions for those who have no time to prepare, those who are not able or don’t want to cook, for those who prefer just to grab a bite…
The friselle are the best solution to serve a bit of Apulia mood.
viaggieitinerari... in Puglia by Valeria Dicarlo 