One of my favorite lunches as a child was cuddurune, or Sicilian fried breads. My mother never made them very often because the mixing and kneading were hard on her arthritic hands—even at the early age of thirty-five. Today this would no longer be a problem, what with food processors and heavy-duty mixers with dough-hook attachments. They are now simple and fairly quick to make.
My mother made and served only the traditional version, that is sprinkled with sugar. When I began making them myself, my spouse, who loved them as much as I did, asked if we couldn’t come up with a savory version. This would allow us to have a lunch that was not all sweet. Together we worked out a version that contains minced pepperoni, fresh herbs, and Parmigiano cheese, which when fried we sprinkle with dried oregano. Of course, I never abandoned the sugared variety, so we always had both.
When I decided to write about them, I realized I had no idea how to spell the word. Once I asked my mother, but she had no clue. Checking the internet, at first I found no mention of them. Thus I suspected that maybe they were simply a family thing, a way to use up unbaked bread dough. Finally, I found one entry in website called, The Sicilian House, a an elegant guest house, nestled in the Madonie Mountains. To see the article, click here.
This wonderful area just south of Cefalu is Sicily’s second-largest nature preserve. A few years ago, we had spent an idyllic few days in Castelbuono, a town just outside of the park. This visit gave me a good idea of the beauty of the area. Suzanne Turrisi, the proprietor of The Sicilian House, describes a mouth-watering meal, in which cuddurune are served as a pre-dinner treat, something I had never considered.
The cuddurune are referred to as i dolci dei poveri, the sweets of the poor. Those described in the article sound as though they are lighter, more donut-like, than my mother’s version, which are more breadlike. I did learn that some people sprinkle salt rather than sugar on them—something worth a try.
In making my savory version, I first skin the pepperoni. As my mother would have said, “Who knows what dirty hands were touching it?” Then I pulse the pepperoni in a processor until minced. I flatten the dough and sprinkle the top with the minced pepperoni, the chopped herbs, and the Parmigiano. Then I fold it over, flatten it again, and repeat the process over and over until I’ve used all the ingredients. This seems the best method for fully incorporating these embellishments into a rather stiff dough.
The cuddurune are fried lightly in olive oil, just until golden brown. (Note: the photos of the savory version are slightly browner than ideal.)
To print or download the recipe, click here.
