Name: Cartellate
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Italian, Puglian
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling; 60 g extra-virgin olive oil; 180 ml dry white wine, approximately, slightly warmed; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 1 l peanut or sunflower oil, for deep-frying; 350 g grape or fig vincotto, for dipping; 60 g honey, optional, to soften the vincotto flavour; 1 pinch ground cinnamon, optional

Cartellate: wide hero view of crisp rose-shaped fried pastry coils glazed with dark vincotto or honey

Prep55 minutes

Cook30 minutes

Total1 h 55 min

Yield18–20 cartellate / 8 servings

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The dish

About Cartellate

Cartellate are strongly associated with Christmas in Puglia. Their thin ribbons are pinched at intervals and coiled into elaborate rose or basket shapes before frying.

The dough contains olive oil and dry white wine rather than eggs or large amounts of sugar. That lean composition is what allows it to fry into a light, brittle pastry with small blisters.

Shaping is easier when the sheet is very thin but not dry. If the strips are allowed to crust before pinching, the folds spring apart in the oil. Work in manageable batches and keep unrolled dough covered.

Vincotto gives the most recognisable dark glossy finish. Honey is also used; this version warms the vincotto gently and dips the fried pastries only long enough to coat their ridges without making them soggy.

Technique

Three things that matter

Roll very thin. A sheet around 1 mm fries crisp and light; thick dough becomes hard and bready.
Pinch firmly. Every joint has to survive frying, so press the dough surfaces together decisively.
Glaze after frying. The pastry must be fully crisp before it meets warm vincotto or honey.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Dough

500 gplain flourplus extra for rolling
60 gextra-virgin olive oil
180 mldry white wineapproximately, slightly warmed
1 pinchfine sea salt

For frying and finishing

1 lpeanut or sunflower oilfor deep-frying
350 ggrape or fig vincottofor dipping
60 ghoneyoptional, to soften the vincotto flavour
1 pinchground cinnamonoptional

Step by step

Method

Mix and roll the dough

Make the dough. Combine flour and salt. Add olive oil and enough warm wine to form a smooth, firm dough. Knead 8 minutes until elastic.
The dough should be supple and dry enough not to stick to the bench.
Rest. Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
The dough should roll without snapping back strongly.
Roll very thin. Work in small pieces and roll to about 1 mm thick. Cut long strips roughly 3–4 cm wide with a fluted wheel.
The strip should be thin enough to see light through but still handle without tearing.

Shape the rosettes

Make the pockets. Fold each strip loosely lengthwise and pinch the two long edges together every 3–4 cm to form a chain of small cups, leaving the open edge upward.
Each pinch should be firmly fused, not merely touching.
Coil into roses. Roll the strip into a spiral, attaching adjacent pockets with extra pinches so the coil holds its shape.
The pastry should resemble an open rose with channels that can catch vincotto.
Dry briefly. Set the shaped cartellate on a floured tray for 20–30 minutes while the oil heats.
The surface may feel slightly dry but the pinched joints should not crack.

Fry and glaze

Fry until crisp. Heat frying oil to 170–175°C. Fry 2–3 cartellate at a time for about 2 minutes, turning once, until pale golden and blistered.
They should feel rigid and crisp but not dark brown.
Drain completely. Transfer to a rack or paper-lined tray and cool for at least 10 minutes.
No visible surface oil should remain pooled in the pastry pockets.
Warm the vincotto. Heat the vincotto gently with honey if using; do not boil. Dip each cartellata briefly, turn to coat and drain on a rack.
The glaze should look glossy while the pastry remains visibly crisp and structured.

Practical guidance

Vincotto choice

Puglian grape or fig vincotto gives the darkest traditional finish. Honey alone produces a lighter, sweeter version.

Shaping rhythm

Keep the unrolled dough covered and shape one strip at a time so the edges remain tacky enough to pinch together.

Make-ahead

Unglazed cartellate keep crisp longer. Dip or drizzle them closer to serving if humidity is high.

Troubleshooting

The rosettes open in the oil. The joints were not pinched firmly enough or the strips dried before shaping. Press every contact point decisively.
The pastry is hard. The dough was rolled too thick or fried too cool. Aim for about 1 mm and maintain 170–175°C.
The cartellate are greasy. The oil temperature fell too low or the pan was overcrowded. Fry in small batches.
The glaze makes them soggy. The pastries were dipped too long or while still hot. Cool first and use warm, not boiling, vincotto.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 2–3 cartellate
Calories: approximately 410 kcal
Carbohydrates: 67 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 14 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: 80 mg

Oil absorption and vincotto coating vary, so values are approximate.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten and alcohol from wine; most alcohol evaporates during preparation but not necessarily all traces.

Deep-fry in a stable pot filled no more than halfway and keep water away from hot oil.

Cool frying oil completely before straining or disposal.

FAQ

What is vincotto?

It is a concentrated cooked grape must, with fig-based versions also used in Puglia; it gives cartellate their dark, glossy, fruity finish.

Can cartellate be baked?

They can be adapted, but the classic texture comes from frying the very thin shaped dough.

Why are the strips fluted?

The fluted wheel creates the traditional decorative edge and increases the crisp surface area.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Light, brittle pastry rosettes with crisp blistered layers and a glossy vincotto finish.
Key: Roll to about 1 mm, build strong pinched joints, fry in hot oil, and glaze only after the pastries are crisp.