Nutella filled Venetian Frittelle

 

(Makes about 24 frittelle)


3 ½ cups (500 grams) flour
½ c sugar, plus more for garnishing the frittelle
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1 ¾ cups whole milk, divided in half plus more if needed

2 T yeast
6-8 cups sunflower oil (or another oil with a high smoking point) for frying
1 large jar (26 ounces) Nutella

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Stir the eggs and half of the milk together and add it to the flour mixture.  Stir together until combined.  Warm the other half of the milk and add the yeast, stirring until the yeast is dissolved.  Add the milk and yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until all the ingredients are combined, scraping down the sides to make sure the dough is homogenous.  The dough will be quite loose/wet. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise for about 5 hours when it should have doubled in size.
When the dough is ready, stir it again.  It should still be very loose and sticky.  If it's not, add a little more milk.
In a heavy pot for frying, heat the oil to 365° F (180° C). Spoon the batter, scooped into 1 1/2 inch balls, into the oil. (I used an ice cream scooper, spraying it with non-stick cooking spray).  Fry until the frittelle are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Don't overcrowd your pot, or you will reduce the temperature of the oil, and they will not cook properly.  I fried 5 frittelle at a time in my large pot.
Remove the frittelle with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with paper towels to drain.  Once they've cooled enough to handle, roll them in granulated sugar.  Once you've fried all the frittelle, poke a hole in the tops of them.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a round tip with Nutella and pipe Nutella into each frittelle.  They should be eaten while they are still warm.  Enjoy!