Among the most acclaimed dough masters in the capital, Marco Quintili has brought the "contemporary Neapolitan" pizza into the spotlight, but not only that: his fried creations blend indulgence and lightness in every bite. Here's the recipe for the "cloud," generously adorned with mortadella and pistachios.

Cover photo by: @Alberto Blasetti

"Fried cloud" with mortadella and pistachios

Ingredients for 4 “clouds”

For the dough

1 kg of flour
670 grams of water
25 grams of salt
4 grams of yeast
Good-quality sunflower oil

Method

It's recommended to use a medium-weak flour (check the label for products with 11.5 g of protein per 100 g).

Start by placing 1 kg of flour, 550 grams of water, and yeast in a stand mixer; knead for about 5/6 minutes, then let it rest in a covered bowl for about 5/6 hours in the refrigerator.

After this time, place the dough back in the mixer and add the remaining water gradually, waiting for it to be absorbed. Meanwhile, add the salt. When the dough appears uniformed and has absorbed all the water, it's ready.

Let it rest, still in a covered bowl, for about 3 hours at room temperature. Then, form 90-gram balls and wait for the right leavening time. Once done, flatten the dough and fry it in sunflower oil at a temperature not exceeding 175 degrees Celsius. The cooking time should be about 2 minutes. Finally, place them on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

For the filling

160 g of mortadella
Buffalo stracciatella
Crushed pistachios
Pistachio cream

Method

Fill each "cloud" with 30-40 grams of mortadella, buffalo stracciatella to taste, pistachio cream, and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Serve the "clouds" while still warm.