Zlabia

Zlabia is a pastry made from a flowing dough, shaped into interlacing patterns, deep-fried, and then coated in syrup. The shaping differs from the cut dough strips of griwech.

Ingredients

• 250 g wheat flour
• 30 g cornstarch
• 3 g dry baker's yeast
• 480 ml water
• 500 g sugar
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 1000 ml oil for deep frying, quantity not assimilated to absorbed oil

Preparation

Reserve 180 ml of water for the syrup. Mix flour, cornstarch, yeast, and the remaining 300 ml of water; whisk to obtain a thick but flowing batter.

Cover and let ferment for approximately 90 to 120 minutes. The batter should be airy; stir gently before pouring it into a piping bag or suitable squeeze bottle.

Simmer the 500 g sugar with the reserved 180 ml water and lemon for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly; the syrup should remain fluid enough to coat.

Heat the oil bath to 170 °C. Draw small interlacing patterns of batter, keeping your hand away from the oil; cook in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the strands are cooked and crispy.

Drain, briefly dip in the syrup, then let the excess drip off on a wire rack. The amount of syrup and oil absorbed is not measured.