Crescentine Emilian Fried Bread

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Crescentine are small, golden fried breads from the Modena province of Emilia-Romagna, traditionally cooked in a special terracotta or cast-iron pan called a crescentinara and served hot with cured meats, squacquerone cheese, or a punchy parsley-and-garlic pesto. The dough is enriched with lard for tenderness and flavor, and the breads puff up into soft, slightly blistered pillows as they hit the hot fat. They are the ultimate appetizer bread for a salumi board or a casual aperitivo spread.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 620 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 10 gSaturated Fat
• 78 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 1 gSugar
• 14 gProtein
• 620 mgSodium
• 210 mgPotassium
• 35 mgCalcium
• 5 mgIron
• 0 mgVitamin C
• 50 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough

• 500 g (about 4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 50 g (about 3 1/2 tbsp) lard or softened unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 260 ml (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) lukewarm water

For frying

• About 500 ml (2 cups) lard, beef tallow, or neutral vegetable oil for shallow frying

Traditional accompaniment (optional)

• Pesto modenese (parsley, garlic, Parmigiano, lard, lemon zest) or soft squacquerone cheese, sliced mortadella, and salami for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the lard (or butter) and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs, then pour in the yeast mixture.
3. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until nearly doubled.
4. Punch down the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces (about 50 g each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then flatten with a rolling pin into discs about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) in diameter and roughly 3 mm thick.
5. Heat about 1 cm (1/3 inch) of lard or oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat to 170 to 175 degrees C (340 to 350 degrees F). The fat is ready when a small piece of dough sizzles and rises to the surface immediately.
6. Working in batches of 2 to 3, lay the discs in the hot fat and fry for about 1 minute per side, pressing gently with a slotted spatula so they puff up into golden pillows. Flip once when the underside is deeply golden.
7. Transfer the fried crescentine to a plate lined with paper towels to drain briefly, then keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest, adding more fat to the pan if needed.
8. Serve immediately, stacked on a board or in a cloth-lined basket, with pesto modenese, soft squacquerone, and slices of mortadella and salami on the side.

Cook’s Notes

• Lard gives the most authentic flavor and tender crumb, but softened butter works well for a milder taste.
• Keep the frying fat at 170 to 175 degrees C; too cool and the breads absorb grease, too hot and they burn before puffing.
• If you have a crescentinara (the traditional ridged cast-iron or terracotta pan), brush the wells with lard and cook the discs in it over medium heat for about 90 seconds per side instead of frying.
• Crescentine are best eaten within an hour of cooking while still warm and pillowy; reheated ones can be refreshed for a few seconds in a hot dry pan.
• For a fully traditional experience, serve with pesto modenese, which is made by pounding parsley, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lard, lemon zest, and a splash of vinegar into a rough paste.

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