Ciambella

Ciambelle (Ciambella, singular) are Italian doughnuts that vary by region, including some savoury varieties.

Many regions have registered one or more types of ciambella in their official list of traditional food products, including:

• Calabria
  • cuddrurieddru, a sweet fried doughnut made with flour and boiled potatoes, typically made at Christmastime.
• Campania
  • graffa, a sweet fried doughnut made with flour and potatoes, covered with caster sugar, often best when eaten just out of the frier, deliciously soft and nothing like those terrible musty American doughnuts.
• Emilia-Romagna
  • ciambella ferrarese, a baked doughnut made with flour, sugar, eggs and butter. Originally an Easter dish.
• Lazio
  • ciambella a cancello, 'gate doughnut' with an intricate rosette shape, made using aniseed and local wine.
  • ciambella all'acqua, 'water doughnut', so-called because it is first boiled in water and then baked.
  • ciambella ellenese, a small, knot-shaped doughnut made with cinnamon and covered with rose water.
• Marche
  • ciambella frastagliata, 'jagged doughnut', made with mistrà (aniseed-flavour liquor) and a high proportion of egg, which is boiled, dried with a cloth, cut in half and baked until crispy.

Sample ingredients

• granulated sugar
• eggs
• unsalted butter
• unbleached flour
• grated zest of a lemon
• milk
• lievito chimico, the Italian baking powder