Golden Bread
A historical recipe from Simple Italian Cookery, by Antonia Isola.
A historical recipe
Simple Italian Cookery, by Antonia Isola. Project Gutenberg eBook #6385.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
Italy
Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
- Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.
Method
Chef Wood
-
Hello, I'm Chef Wood. Ask me anything about this recipe, whenever you like. Press play, or say “next”, and I'll read you the steps one at a time.
Chef Wood answers only when you ask, so take all the time you need. His answers come from AI and are general cooking guidance.
- Choose bread which is elastic, but has no holes in it.
- Remove the crust and cut it in slices about one inch thick, and from these slices cut little pieces about three inches long and about one inch wide.
- Trim them off well, so they will not be ragged or uneven.
- Put these pieces into a bowl and throw on them some boiling water, then remove them immediately and throw them into a big bowl of cold water.
- This operation should be done quickly, so as to make the bread feel the impression of heat and cold, one directly after the other.
- Then take the bread between the hands and gently squeeze out the water without breaking the pieces or deforming them.
- Place them on a napkin to dry.
- Then dip them in egg which has been beaten up and seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Allow the egg to soak well into the bread.
- Fifteen minutes before serving put a frying-pan on with a quantity of lard, and as soon as the lard is lukewarm put in the pieces of bread, turn them as soon as they harden a little on one side.
- The bread must fry very slowly, and should remain on the fire at least ten minutes, so that the heat can penetrate gradually into the middle and make it light.
- This bread to be successful should be hollow inside like a fritter when finished.
- When the bread has taken a good golden color, remove from the lard, drain it on a napkin, add a little salt, and serve very hot.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
-
Frying pan
-
Saucepan
-
Mixing bowl
-
Chef's knife
-
Spatula
-
Colander