Torta Fritta (Fried Dough Italian Style) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup whole milk
5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
peanut oil or lard, for frying

Preparation

In a small saucepan, combine milk and 1 1/3 cups water. Heat to 110F or until warm to touch; remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, yeast and salt; make a well. Add olive oil and warm milk mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until dough just starts to form.
Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, adding more flour by the tablespoon as needed to keep dough from being too sticky, about 15 minutes.
Transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean dishtowel, and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll out to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle, and cut into (about 50) 2 by 3 inch rectangles, transferring cut pieces to a sheet of parchment paper with space between each piece.
Fill a deep saucepan with 11/2 inches peanut oil and heat to 365F Fry dough pieces in batches, turning them before they are halfway done, until puffed and golden brown on both sides, about 11/2 minutes total.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer torta frittas to paper towels in order to drain. Serve immediately.