November 22nd is Santa Cecilia and the Christmas holidays officially open in Taranto. And if there is a specialty that cannot be missed on Apulian tables these days, it is the piccolo, the delicious fried balls of leavened dough, mainly served as an appetizer.
The legend of the breasts of Santa Cecilia
According to a legend that has been handed down for generations, this delicacy was born by chance thanks to a woman from Taranto who, during the night of Santa Cecilia, let her bread rise too much because she was distracted by the fascinating music of the bagpipes around the streets of the city. When he realized that the dough was no longer good for making bread, he decided to make little balls and fry them in oil. The name “pettola” comes from Latin pittula, diminutive of pitta, or focaccia.
To prepare the breasts you need few ingredients, but it is important to follow the steps correctly to make them soft. Let’s find out what the original recipe and two other versions include to help you keep it light and avoid frying.
The original recipe
Ingredients (for about 30 breasts)
Preparation
First sift the flour into a large bowl. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in a little warm water and add it to the center of the mountain of flour. Pour the water little by little over the flour, add the salt and begin to knead vigorously for about a quarter of an hour so as to incorporate air. Try to obtain a sticky and homogeneous dough, but without lumps.
Now cover the bowl with cling film or a cotton cloth and let it rise for a couple of hours. When the volume of the dough has doubled and is filled with bubbles, it means that it is time to move on to the frying phase. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. Wet a spoon and take the dough into a ball, pushing it into the oil with the help of your index finger or another spoon. Turn the breasts often and cook over medium heat until they seem quite golden. Gradually place them on a plate on a layer of absorbent paper to eliminate excess oil.
Your Apulian breasts are ready to be served. You can enjoy them in a savory version as an appetizer or with a sprinkling of icing sugar as a dessert.
Baked Apulian breasts
If you want to avoid frying, there is also a decidedly lighter version of the traditional Apulian recipe which involves cooking in the oven.
Ingredients (for about 25 breasts)
Preparation
Combine the two flours in a large bowl and add the yeast in a cup with 10 tablespoons of warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Add the rosemary and salt. Add the rest of the warm water a little at a time and start kneading with your hands until you obtain a soft and homogeneous dough. Now cover the bowl with cling film or a cotton cloth and let it rise for about 3 hours. When the volume of the dough has doubled, form balls with your hands and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Let them rise for another half hour, covering them with a cloth and then cook for about 20 minutes at 180°C.
Apulian breasts cooked in the air fryer
Finally, another way to prepare the light version of the Santa Cecilia breasts is to cook them in the air fryer. To do this you need to follow the steps of the traditional recipe. When the dough has risen after at least two hours, you need to form balls with your hands. At this point, set the air fryer to 200°C and heat for 15 minutes. Once heated, cover the bottom of the fryer basket with a little baking paper and place your breasts (leaving a little space between the balls to prevent them from sticking) and cook for ten minutes. Enjoy them nice and warm.
Enjoy your meal!
