Panzerotti
Fried tomato and mozzarella pockets
Panzerotti: Bari's small fried half-moons of tomato and mozzarella
Walk through old Bari in the early evening and you will smell panzerotti before you see them: palm-sized half-moons of soft yeast dough, sealed around tomato and mozzarella and fried until blistered and golden. They are smaller and plumper than a Neapolitan pizza fritta and nothing like a baked calzone; you eat them standing up, straight from a paper bag, blowing on the first bite because the filling is molten. Puglian families make a big batch for Saturday nights and children's parties. Chef's tip: dice and drain the mozzarella for an hour beforehand, because a wet filling is what makes them burst in the oil.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb 00 flour or plain flourplus a little for rolling
- ¼ oz dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ oz salt
For the filling
- 10 ½ oz fior di latte mozzarellacut into 1 cm dice and drained in a sieve for 1 hour
- 7 oz thick tomato pulp (polpa)or drained chopped tinned tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
For frying
- 6 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oil
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Stir ¼ oz dried yeast and 1 tsp sugar into 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water and leave for 5 minutes, until a little foam forms on top.
5 minStep 2: Put 1 ⅛ lb 00 flour or plain flour in a large bowl, pour in the yeast water and mix with your hand. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and ⅓ oz salt and knead on the worktop for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and springs back slowly when poked.
10 minStep 3: Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 4: While it rises, mix 7 oz thick tomato pulp (polpa) with 1 tsp dried oregano and ¼ tsp salt. Pat 10 ½ oz fior di latte mozzarella dry with kitchen paper.
Step 5: Tip the dough out and divide into 10 pieces of about 80 g. Roll each into a ball, cover with a cloth and rest for 10 minutes so they are easy to roll.
10 minStep 6: Roll one ball into a thin disc about 14 cm across. Put a heaped tablespoon of tomato and a small handful of mozzarella on one half, keeping 1.5 cm of border clear.
Step 7: Fold the dough over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly with your fingertips, pushing out any trapped air. Seal again with the tines of a fork. Common mistake: overfilling or leaving tomato on the rim; the seal won't hold and the panzerotto splits open in the oil. Repeat with the rest, laying them on a floured tray.
Step 8: Heat 6 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oil in a deep pan to 350°F (a scrap of dough should rise at once and fizz steadily, not violently).
Step 9: Fry 2 or 3 at a time for 2–3 minutes, spooning hot oil over the tops so they puff, and turning once, until deep golden all over.
3 minStep 10: Lift out onto kitchen paper and wait 2 minutes before eating: the filling inside is scalding.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does panzerotti take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of 00 flour or plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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