Pugliese Scarcella

Pour the flour onto a pastry board

Add the baking powder and granulated sugar

Flavour with the grated zest of a lemon and mix

Add the lightly beaten egg and knead with your hands, pouring in the oil first and then the milk

When the dough is smooth and elastic, form a ball and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature

In the meantime, cook the eggs in a pan of water for 9 minutes from boiling

When the eggs are hard-boiled, take the dough and divide it into portions of about 75 g each

Shape each piece into a loaf about 30 cm long

Join three loaves by pinching the initial ends and create a braid

Also join the final ends and close the braid into a circle, forming a doughnut

Proceed in the same way for the remaining pieces until you have made 4 scarcelle

Place the doughnuts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and place a hard-boiled egg in the centre of each one

Bake in a preheated static oven at 170° for 50-55 minutes; if the pastry should darken too much, cover with a sheet of aluminium foil

For the icing (optional): whip the egg whites with an electric whisk, gradually adding the lemon juice

When the mixture is frothy, add the icing sugar a little at a time, continuing to mix

Cover the scarcelle with the freshly prepared icing and decorate as desired with coloured sugar granules