
This homemade freselle recipe offers you the chance to make classic twice-baked Italian bread at home. This bread has a bagel shape along with a crisp texture that is perfect for holding juicy tomatoes. It makes a delicious appetizer or snack with your favorite toppings, including vine-ripened tomatoes.
To make the homemade freselle, you start by making a dough by mixing yeast with water, olive oil, flour, and salt until combined. Then, the dough gets shaped into bagel shapes before being baked in the oven. Then, they get cut into halves and baked again to crisp them up.
What is Homemade Freselle?
Freselle is a crunchy, almost cracker-like Italian bread that has a bagel shape. It is often topped with juicy tomatoes, oil, salt, and pepper for a flavorful snack.
Pro Tips
- Use yeast that is still very fresh and active to ensure that the freselle rise in the oven.
- When working with the dough, dust your work surface with flour so it doesn’t stick.
- If you find that your dough isn’t rising, you can move it to a warmer location in your home.
- To ensure that the freselle are even sizes, you can weigh each portion of dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Eat Friselle?
Since friselle is a dry, cracker-like bread, it works well with wet toppings such as tomatoes or briny olives. It can also be served as part of a charcuterie board with salami and cheese.
Where Did Friselle Bread Originate?
Friselle has origins in southern Italy in the areas of Calabria, Campania, and Apulia.
What is Friselle in English?
There isn’t a direct way to translate friselle into English but it refers to a crunchy twice-baked bread that has the appearance of a bagel. It is shelf stable and holds up well to wet toppings like fresh tomatoes.
How to Store Homemade Freselle
The freselle can be stored in an airtight container or sealed bag at room temperature where they will stay fresh for several days.
Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Freselle
In a bowl, stir the water with the yeast until combined. Add olive oil followed by the all-purpose flour, salt, and whole wheat flour until a dough forms. Drizzle it with additional olive oil and set it aside to rise for 2 hours.
In a bowl, stir the water with the yeast until combined. Add olive oil followed by the all-purpose flour, salt, and whole wheat flour until a dough forms. Drizzle it with additional olive oil and set it aside to rise for 2 hours.
Cut the dough into five portions and shape them into rings.
Cut the dough into five portions and shape them into rings.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow them to rise for 1 hour. Bake them in a 338 F (170 C) oven for 20 minutes. Slice them in half, return them to the baking sheet, and bake them in a 320 F (160 C) oven for another 20 minutes.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow them to rise for 1 hour. Bake them in a 338 F (170 C) oven for 20 minutes. Slice them in half, return them to the baking sheet, and bake them in a 320 F (160 C) oven for another 20 minutes.
Allow them to cool completely before serving them with your favorite toppings!
Allow them to cool completely before serving them with your favorite toppings!