Italian Tuscan Fried Dough with Stracchino | Coccoli Toscani con Stracchino
Updated: Sep 13
Coccoli are Florence’s irresistible small puffs of fried bread dough, traditionally brought to the table hot with creamy stracchino and thin slices of Tuscan prosciutto. The name suggests little cuddles, and the best examples are exactly that: irregular golden cushions with a crisp shell, a light open interior, and enough salt to frame the cheese and cured ham.
They are not stuffed before frying and they should not be confused with dense doughnuts. A simple yeasted dough is allowed to mature, then small pieces are dropped into properly heated oil. Steam and fermentation create the hollow, tender structure; overhandling or adding too much flour makes heavy balls.
This recipe makes 24 to 30 coccoli, serving six as an antipasto. Allow about 25 minutes of active preparation, 1 1/2 to 2 hours for rising, and 20 minutes for frying. Assemble only at the table or immediately before eating so the hot crisp dough, cool cheese, and silky prosciutto remain distinct.
Ingredients
• 4 cups Italian 00 or unbleached all-purpose flour (500 g)
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water, about 80°F (27°C) (320 ml)
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast (3 g), or 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (4 g)
• 1 teaspoon honey or sugar (5 g), optional, to start the yeast
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (10 g)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (15 ml)
• 2 quarts neutral frying oil (about 2 L), or enough for a depth of 3 inches (7.5 cm)
• 12 ounces stracchino or crescenza cheese (340 g), softened slightly
• 8 ounces Prosciutto Toscano, very thinly sliced (225 g)
• Fine sea salt, for finishing
Preparation
1. Combine the water, yeast, and optional honey in a large bowl. If using active dry yeast, wait 5 to 8 minutes until a light foam appears. Instant yeast may proceed immediately.
2. Add about three-quarters of the flour and stir to form a rough batter. Add the salt and olive oil, then work in the remaining flour. Knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes or with a dough hook for 6 to 7 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. For deeper flavor, use half the yeast and refrigerate 12 to 18 hours, then bring the dough toward room temperature before frying.
4. Turn the risen dough onto a very lightly oiled work surface. Do not punch it down aggressively. With an oiled bench scraper, divide it into pieces of about 3/4 ounce (20 g). Irregular shapes are traditional, but similar weight ensures even cooking.
5. Arrange the stracchino in a serving bowl and separate the prosciutto slices so they are easy to lift. Prepare a rack over a sheet pan and keep a warm platter ready. Coccoli must move from oil to table quickly.
6. Heat the frying oil in a deep heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). The oil should fill no more than halfway up the pot. Maintain a thermometer in place and keep a lid nearby for safe temperature control.
7. With lightly oiled fingers, stretch each dough piece into a small rough oval without flattening out all the gas. Lower 5 or 6 pieces into the oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning as they inflate, until evenly golden.
8. Lift with a spider and drain on the rack. Season immediately with a very small pinch of salt. Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) before adding the next batch; low temperature produces greasy coccoli.
9. Transfer each finished batch to the warm platter but do not cover. Continue until all the dough is fried, skimming any dark flour particles from the oil.
10. Serve immediately. Guests may split a coccolo and fill it with a spoonful of stracchino and a folded ribbon of prosciutto, or eat the three elements in alternating bites. Do not preassemble a large platter, which softens the crust.
Professional Technique
Hydration controls lightness. The dough should feel softer than pizza dough but still hold together. Resist adding handfuls of flour during kneading; use lightly oiled hands and allow time for gluten development. A dry dough cannot expand rapidly enough in the fryer.
Oil temperature must recover between batches. At 350°F (175°C), the exterior sets while internal water becomes steam and opens the crumb. Below 335°F (168°C), oil penetrates before the crust forms; above 365°F (185°C), the surface darkens while the center remains raw.
For professional service, ferment the dough slowly under refrigeration, portion it shortly before service, and fry in small waves matched to table demand. Hold finished coccoli uncovered in a 200°F (95°C) oven for no more than 10 minutes; longer holding sacrifices their defining contrast.
Fermentation determines whether coccoli remain light or turn dense. The dough should be soft and hydrated, but it must hold enough structure to trap expanding gas. Develop the gluten before the first rise, then handle the fermented dough gently so the bubbles are not completely expelled. If the dough is very sticky, oil the hands and utensils instead of adding flour, which changes the final texture.
Portion with two lightly oiled spoons or pinch off small irregular pieces with wet fingertips. Keep each portion compact and similar in weight so the centers cook before the crust darkens. Lower the dough close to the oil surface to prevent splashing, fry only a few pieces at a time, and turn them repeatedly for an even pale-golden color. The oil should recover fully between batches.
Drain first with a spider, then transfer the coccoli to a wire rack rather than stacking them on absorbent paper. Air circulation preserves the fragile crust. Serve within minutes with the stracchino cool but spreadable and the prosciutto thinly sliced at room temperature. The heat from the dough should soften the cheese and release the cured ham’s aroma without warming either accompaniment excessively.
Chef Tips
• Weigh the first dozen portions. Once the correct size is familiar, irregular shaping can remain rustic without producing raw centers.
• Oil the scraper and hands instead of dusting heavily with flour. Loose flour burns in the fryer and clouds the oil.
• Keep stracchino cool but spreadable. Ice-cold cheese tears the hot dough, while warm cheese becomes runny and oily.
• Prosciutto Toscano is assertively seasoned; salt the coccoli lightly and taste the complete bite before adding more.
• Replace or filter oil if it smells sharp or contains many burnt particles. Clean fat is essential in such a simple preparation.
Common Mistakes
• Stuffing the raw dough with cheese or ham: traditional Florentine coccoli are fried plain and served with the accompaniments.
• Making a stiff dough: the result is dense and bready instead of hollow and light.
• Degassing completely during portioning: fermentation gases help the pieces expand in the oil.
• Crowding the fryer: oil temperature collapses and the pieces stick together.
• Covering after frying: trapped steam immediately softens the crisp shell.
Related Dishes
Wine Pairing
Chianti Classico DOCG — Sangiovese acidity cuts through fried dough and creamy cheese, while savory red fruit is a natural partner for Tuscan prosciutto.
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC — Dry bubbles cleanse the palate, and Sorbara’s floral lightness keeps the aperitivo vivid rather than heavy.
Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC — A cool, restrained Pinot Nero brings supple red fruit and enough freshness for stracchino without overpowering the dough’s delicate fermentation.
Storage & Reheating
Coccoli are best within minutes of frying. If necessary, cool completely and refrigerate in a paper-lined container for up to 1 day. Reheat at 400°F (205°C) for 4 to 6 minutes or in an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 3 minutes. Never microwave them.
The fermented dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours in a covered, lightly oiled container. Bring it out 45 minutes before portioning. Do not freeze assembled coccoli with cheese and prosciutto; store every component separately and follow the cured meat and cheese use-by dates.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving of four coccoli with stracchino and prosciutto: 610 calories, 24 g protein, 31 g fat, 58 g carbohydrate, and 1,540 mg sodium. Oil absorption and the amount of cheese and ham served create substantial variation.
Comments