Cheese and honey. A refined and irresistible combination that forms the foundation of an ancient Sardinian delicacy: the seada, a famous fried dessert made with semolina, pecorino cheese, and honey drizzled on top. Here we present you the traditional seadas recipe. This cherished recipe is found throughout Sardinia, with variations in its name depending on the area: sebada, sevada, savada, and sevata.
These diverse names are believed to originate from the word “seu”, which in Sardinian denotes the animal fat still used in the dough today. In Italian, the singular name of the dessert (seada) is often mistakenly rendered as “seadas”, which is actually the plural form in Sardinian (the Sardinian language belongs to a distinct branch of Romance languages from Italian).
Artisanal production of seada remains widespread, especially in Sardinia’s pastoral areas, though “commercial” versions have been available in large retail chains for several years now. There are various interpretations of the traditional seadas recipe, but they generally fall into two categories: with cooked cheese and with raw cheese, the latter known in Sardinian as “a sa mandrona”, meaning “the lazy way”.
Straddling the line between sweet and savory, seada offers a unique sensory experience of aromas, fragrances, and flavors. The seadas recipe is not so demanding: it requires about 25 minutes for preparation and 30 minutes for cooking, plus the resting time for the dough and the acidification period for the cheese outside the fridge (24 hours).
Ingredients (for about 24 seadas)
For the dough
- 200 g re-milled durum wheat semolina
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g sugar
- 10 g fine salt
- 1 egg
- 150 g water
- 20 g butter
- 5 g extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g lard
For the filling
- 300 g primosale cheese (primosale is a pecorino that has not been aged for long)
- 1 orange zest
- 1 lemon zest
- 5 g sugar
- 5 g fine salt
For garnish
- Strawberry tree honey, as needed
Seadas Recipe: Cooking Process
- To prepare seadas, remember to take the cheese out of the fridge on the same day you start making the dough, as the cheese needs about 24 hours to reach the right level of acidity.
- Begin by making the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the semolina, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Add the egg and water, then mix at low speed until the dough is smooth and uniform, which should take about 15 minutes. Next, add the butter, olive oil, and lard, and continue mixing at low speed for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it by hand into a ball. Wrap the dough in a cloth and let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- The following day, take the cheese that has been left out for 24 hours and cut it into cubes. Place the cubes in a saucepan over very low heat, adding a splash of water. Let the cheese melt gently, and meanwhile, grate the orange and lemon zest. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, and when the cheese is nearly melted, add the citrus zest and mix well to infuse the flavors.
- Once the cheese is fully melted, transfer it to a surface lightly moistened with water. Wet your hands and press the cheese gently to a thickness of about half a centimeter. Allow the cheese to solidify for a few minutes, then use a 20 cm round cutter to cut out discs and place them on a tray. Any leftover cheese can be remelted and used to make more discs. The cheese discs can be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
- Take the rested dough and cut it into slices with a knife. Place a few slices side by side, dust with semolina, and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1 mm. For a more uniform result, fold the dough over itself and roll it out again.
- Place a couple of cheese discs on the dough sheet, spacing them according to the length of the sheet. Fold the dough over to completely cover the discs, then press lightly around the cheese with your hand to remove any air pockets. Using a 10 cm round cutter, gently press with the smaller side to shape without cutting, then turn it and mark the shape with the larger side. Cut out the circumference using a pastry wheel. Seal the edges with the pastry wheel or the tines of a fork. If desired, you can also decorate the center. Continue this process until all the seadas are formed.
- Heat plenty of vegetable oil to 130-140°C and fry one seada at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature too much. Fry the seada, basting it with hot oil using a spoon. When it is puffed up and golden, remove it from the oil. Continue frying the rest, draining each seada on a tray lined with paper towels.
- It’s time to serve your seadas: place each one on a plate and drizzle with honey. Buon appetito!
Tips and Storage
If you prefer not to use the mix of fats, you can opt for lard only. Allowing the cheese to sit out of the fridge for 24 hours is crucial: it develops a tangy note and becomes meltier. If you prefer, you can use any type of cheese. To garnish the seadas, feel free to use any type of honey or a dusting of powdered sugar.
We recommend enjoying the fried seadas immediately for the best taste and texture. However, raw seadas can be stored in the fridge for a few hours or frozen for later use.