In Abruzzo they are called mazzafame because I am one snack that breaks hunger; they are eaten as a snack, simple or with ham, but also during meals instead of bread. I am a typical street food from country festival.
In Campania instead they are smaller and fluffy and are served with the tomato sauce like a pizza, but fried.
In some regions of the Northern Italy they exist, but only in a sweet version covered with sugar.
Today we want to offer you the basic recipe of the pancakes most loved by children, the ones with thecrunchy dough outside and soft inside making bubbles while frying. You can then enrich it and accompany it as you wish.

All forms of pancake

Pancakes can be prepared for an appetizer, a snack or a packed lunch, although they should be eaten as soon as they are ready and still hot so taking them too far is not ideal.
What is the shape of the pancake? Generally it is rotunda, both large and small, or even a sticks, it depends a bit on how you want to propose it at the table.
If you do not want to work the dough you can also take small pieces with your hands once they are well risen and fry them in boiling seed oil. You will get some soft balls very tasty to eat one after the other, maybe standing up with a glass of cold beer, or with a melted hazelnut cream for a delicious dessert!
Accompanying sauces? They do not serve because the pancake is already so good.
But if you want to enrich it somehow do it in the Neapolitan way and serve it like a pizza, seasoned in the center with tomato sauce and basil.
A typical and very tasty variation of Abruzzo instead is the accompaniment with fried green peppers together with beaten eggs.

The recipe of mazzafame fritters

Jumbled up 250 g of 00 flour is 250 g of Manitoba flour with a teaspoon of sugar.
Melt a loaf of fresh brewer's yeast (25 g) in a glass of milk and add the mixture to the flour.
Add one cup of extra virgin olive oil and finally the salt and work very well with your hands.
Add more milk (or water) if necessary until the mixture is soft and moist.
Let rise the dough for an hour or two inside a glass container slightly greasy and covered with a cloth.
When it is practically doubled, take small amounts by pinching it (leaving the dough in the container) and form round or long pancakes, working them with your hands very quickly so as not to lose the leavening.
You should never rework the whole dough again when it has risen!
Do a little and leave them rest on a wooden pastry board while the seed oil reaches temperature.
When the oil is ready dip them in one at a time.
The side that was exposed to the air is the one that must be immersed first. After a minute turn them on the other side.
In a couple of minutes the pancakes are ready.
Drain on absorbent paper and season with a pinch of salt. Serve immediately.