Scorpelle

Method

• step 1

  Make the levain. Mix 50g active starter with 200ml water and the white and wholemeal flours. Cover and set aside to ferment at room temperature. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix 850g white flour and 50g wholemeal flour by hand. Add 620ml water and mix just until combined. Cover and let it rest for 30 mins.

• step 2

  Add the salt and 450g of the levain to the dough, and mix and fold until fully incorporated — I like using Ken Forkish’s pincer method. Cover with a tea towel or put in an airtight container and leave to prove at room temperature for 3-4 hrs, stretching and folding the dough on itself every 30 mins, until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to the fridge to cold-prove overnight.

• step 3

  Remove the dough from the fridge and leave to come back to room temperature until it has roughly doubled in size, feels soft and airy, and jiggles when you shake the container. Lightly oil or flour your surface. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle about 1cm thick. Then, use a knife or a dough scraper to cut it into rough rectangles weighing about 100g each (or 50g for smaller scorpelle). You don’t need to weigh them all: weigh one, then cut the rest to roughly the same size. Alternatively, you can pinch small pieces of dough straight from the container and drop them into the hot oil to fry.

• step 4

  Half-fill a deep pan with oil and heat until it's 182-187C. Alternatively, use a deep-fat fryer. Line a tray with kitchen paper, then drop the pieces of dough in the heated oil, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy, 2-4 mins. Transfer the cooked scorpella to the tray and sprinkle with salt while hot. They are best eaten immediately with antipasto such as cheese or cured meat.