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4.80 from 5 votes

Lalagia

Lalagia are savory, oval shaped rings of fried dough, a traditional Greek recipe popular in Messinia.
Prep Time1 hour
Rising time3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Bread, Snack
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 50 lalagia
Calories: 74kcal
Author: Mia Kouppa

Ingredients

Aromatic water:

  • 2 ½ cups water
  • peel of 2 oranges
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Dough:

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 ¼ cups sifted, all purpose flour approximately
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • In a saucepan add 2 ½ cups of water, the orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried thyme and salt.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool so that the liquid is warm, but not hot.  Strain the liquid and reserve it.
    2 ½ cups water, peel of 2 oranges, 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Once this aromatic water is warm and no longer hot, add it to a medium sized bowl.  To this bowl also add an additional 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water, the dry yeast and sugar.  Mix well to dissolve the yeast and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
    1 tbsp active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 cup warm water
  • Add 1/4 cup (37 grams) of the sifted flour, to the yeast mixture, stir and let sit for an additional 5 minutes. The contents of this bowl should at least double in size and “fluff up” through the activity of the yeast (make sure your bowl is large enough to accommodate this).
  • Meanwhile, put 5 cups (745 grams) of your sifted all purpose flour into a very large bowl.  Add 1/3 cup olive oil.  Mix well using your hands.  Add the yeast mixture and continue to mix well with your hands.  Add the orange and lemon juice and mix well.  Begin to add more sifted flour 1/4 cup (37 grams) at a time, mixing well / kneading after each addition.  You might have to add a total of between 1/2 to 1  cup more of sifted flour. The dough you end up with will be sticky and slightly wet. See video here. If you find your dough too dry, add some warm water. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to this dough and gently rub it over the surface of the dough.
    1/3 cup fresh orange juice, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Cover your dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for at least 2 – 3 hours in a warm, draft-free place.  Your dough is ready when it has almost tripled in size.
  • When your dough is ready, you can start shaping your lalagia. See video here, of dough consistency after rising. Take a small amount of dough (about a tablespoons worth, we use about 25-28 grams per lalagi) and roll it into a long, thin log about 6-8 inches long, and 1 centimeter in diameter (they are thin). Rubbing a small amount of olive oil on your hands, can help with the rolling. Pinch the ends together tightly to make a tear-drop shape.  Set onto parchment paper. The parchment paper is important as the lalagia may stick on other surfaces.
  • Let the shaped lalagia rise again for another 30 minutes, before frying.
  • After 30 minutes, heat the vegetable oil, about 1 ½ inches deep, in a deep frying pan.  When your oil is hot, carefully add the lalagia, a few at  a time, being careful not to crowd the pan.  Keep in mind that although the uncooked lalagia are thin and scrawny, they will puff up in the oil, taking up more space.
  • Fry on one side until golden brown.  Flip over carefully and cook until the other side is golden brown as well.  Total cooking time for each batch of lalagia will be about 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from oil and let drain in a colander lined with paper towels.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

If the ends of the lalagia start opening while frying, don't worry, they'll still be delicious. However, what you can do is before you add them to the oil, pinch the ends together and slowly drop them in the oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg