Mix all ingredients except for the water in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or strong rubber spatula. Slowly pour in the warm water, leaving a half cup to the side.
Add more flour and water as necessary to work it into a smooth better, a moist stretchy dough. The consistency should be sticky and loose but not wet.
Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in size. Afterwards, don't overwork, overstir or overknead the dough - the goal is that we like it to be light and airy with lots of air bubbles.
In a large deep skillet or deep fryer, heat your vegetable or canola oil until at least 375°F.
Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop in the dough right into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. The zeppole should be crispy on the outside and airy and pillowy on the inside. Note: You can reuse the same oil for additional batches.
Drain the zeppole on a baking sheet lined with a rack, paper towel or parchment paper.
Pour a generous amount of confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and toss the zeppole into it, coating them thoroughly on all sides. Serve immediately.
