Italian Friselle look like bagels but taste like dried, crunchy bread! Eat them as a snack after briefly dipping them in water, or serve them topped with tomato salad for an appetizer. This is one of my most authentic Italian Bread Recipes!
I have to introduce you to my hubby's favorite snack. No, these aren't bagels.
Old-fashioned friselle are hard, crunchy bread rings hailing from Calabria, Puglia, Campania, etc., in southern Italy.
The idea was to bake hard, Italian bread that would keep for months in the pantry. When it was time to eat it, you just had to revive the stale bread with a bit of water and/or toppings. In English, they're called "rusk" or "rusk biscuits."
Friselle taste like delicious, crunchy bread sticks when you soften them with water. We could stand at the counter and snack on them all day!
And when you add toppings like tomato salad, it's similar to eating bruschetta, but the bread is harder. You get a crunchy, juicy appetizer that'll make you swoon!
Recipe ingredients
We always make friselle bread with a combination of white and whole wheat flour. It brings heartier flavor than just using white flour, but feel free to do that if you prefer.
White Flour: We always use bread flour (affiliate link), but all-purpose flour should work as a substitute.
Whole Wheat Flour: I recommend using white whole wheat flour (affiliate link) instead of red whole wheat flour. White whole wheat tastes milder.
For a sweeter, nuttier flavor, you could use semolina flour in place of the whole wheat flour. And you have to try this Semolina Bread!
How to make it
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Make the dough
- Add the dry ingredients to a large stand mixer and stir to combine.
- Add warm water and olive oil and knead for about five minutes, until the dough comes together.
- Cover and let rise for about two hours.
Shape and bake twice
- Cut the dough into six sections. (Or break off pieces and weigh them to equal 5.2 ounces each.)
- On a clean surface without any flour, use your hands to roll out each piece into a 13-inch rope. (Start in the middle of the log and roll it back and forth, sliding your hands farther apart to lengthen it.)
- Shape each rope into a ring and press the ends together.
- Place the rings on a parchment-lined sheet pan and press them down with your hands to flatten them a bit. Cover and let them rise for one hour.
- Bake the rings initially for 25-30 minutes.
- Split the friselle in half with a serrated knife and spread out the halves on the same sheet pan. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until dry and brown on top.
Recipe tips
- Please don't try to bite into the friselle without softening them first...they'll be hard as a rock unless you add some liquid.
- Soaking the friselle in water for 5-10 seconds will still give you crunchy bread. You can soak them longer if you want the friselle even softer.
How to eat friselle
Dip each frisella (singular for friselle) in a bowl of water for 5-10 seconds to soften it slightly. It won't become mushy unless you soak it for too long.
Eat it plain or topped with olive oil, tomato salad, easy bean salad, etc. It also would be great with canned tuna, cold cuts or egg salad.
For a sweet version, drizzle it with honey!
And...if you need to use up friselle, you can always turn them into Italian bread crumbs!
How to store friselle
Store the friselle in a paper bag at room temperature. They'll keep for months! Of course, if you spot any mold, discard them.
More recipes to try
- Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad)
- Crusty Italian Rolls
- Homemade Italian Bread
- Artisan Italian Bread
- Italian Garlic Bread
- Casatiello (Easter bread from Naples)
Enjoy!
If you try this Friselle recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Friselle Bread
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bread flour (or all-purpose)
- 10 ounces white whole wheat flour (or use white flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast (see notes if using active dry yeast)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- tomato salad (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Add the bread flour, white whole wheat flour, instant yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hooks. Stir on the lowest setting for about 30 seconds to combine. Add the warm water and olive oil. Knead (speed 2 on a Kitchenaid) for 4-5 minutes, until the dough comes together.
- Place in a greased large bowl (you can use the mixing bowl without cleaning it first. Spray it with cooking spray.) Roll the ball of dough around to coat with the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours, until doubled.
- On a floured surface gather the dough and knead it by hand for a minute, shaping it into a football size. Cut the dough into six, equal sections (or pull off 6 pieces and weigh them, aiming for 5.2 ounces each. You can add or subtract dough to each piece as needed.)
- On a clean surface without any flour, roll out each piece into a 13-inch-long rope. (Start in the middle of the log and roll it back and forth, sliding your hands farther apart to lengthen it.)
- Form a circle with each rope, pressing the ends together. Place the rings on a parchment-lined sheet pan and press them down with your hands to flatten them a bit. Cover lightly and let them rise for one hour (or two hours if using active yeast.)
- When the rings have another 30 minutes left to rise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the whole rings initially for 25-30 minutes on the center rack.
- Slice the friselle in half with a serrated knife. (Make two thinner rings from each frisella.) Spread out the halves on the same sheet pan, cut-side up. (It's fine to crowd the pan as shown in the photo in the post.) Bake for another 15-20 minutes until they're dry and browned on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- You MUST soften the friselle with water or olive oil in order to eat them. Dip each half in a small bowl of water for 5-10 seconds. It will still be crunchy but you'll be able to bite into it. Eat the friselle plain after dipping in water, and it will taste like a crunchy bread stick. Or, serve with tomato salad on top, like bruschetta.
Notes
- If using active dry yeast, use 1.5 teaspoons. Sprinkle the yeast on top of one cup of warm water. Let sit for five minutes, then stir. Add this mixture to the flours, salt and olive oil. Add another ½ cup of warm water and proceed with the recipe.
- This recipe makes two pounds of dough. It yields 6 whole friselle, which get sliced in half and baked again. You'll end up with 12 halves.
- Please don't try to bite into the friselle without softening them first...they'll be hard as a rock unless you add some liquid.
- Soaking the friselle in water for 5-10 seconds will still give you crunchy bread. You can soak them longer if you want the friselle even softer. Try not to make them mushy.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: My hubby, Papa C!)
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