FRIED PIZZA
Fried pizza is a delicious morsel of dough which can be enjoyed topped with your favourite pizza toppings or even simply devoured plain. There are endless recipes and variations in Italy for fried pizza but this is my Nonna’s recipe and she is the Queen in my opinion!
Known in Italy as Pizza Fritta these soft and chewy delights are the perfect appetizer (you can decide the size!), snack or savoury party treat! Learn from my Nonna and enjoy them with family and friends.
Watch the Fried Pizza video recipe:
How to make FRIED PIZZA Like an Italian Nonna
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips
How to Knead the Dough
According to Nonna Igea, the best way to knead the dough is by hand, but you can use a stand mixer if you prefer to. When using your hands, knead the dough with the base of your palm, rolling it back and forth a couple of times, fold it in half and turn it over. Repeat this process until you have a soft and smooth dough ball. The more you knead, the better it will be!!
Cut Small Slits into the Dough
Once you roll out the dough into small circles, you need to cut a small slit into the center of the dough, like you are making a bagel. The hole helps the dough cook when frying and makes it puff up quickly in the oil.
Cook one Fried Pizza at a Time
If it’s your first time making pizza fritta, fry one pizza dough at a time. This way, you aren’t trying to cook too many at once and risk burning them. Most importantly, always make sure you’re being safe! When putting the dough into the hot sunflower oil, always lay the dough away from you so the hot oil does not splash toward you.
Make a Few Pizza Pockets
If you want to save a few pieces of dough, you can turn them into pizza pockets or mini calzones! Put your favorite meat and an easy melting cheese into the center of the dough and fold the dough over it like ravioli filling. Next, crease the edges of the dough with a fork to hold the filling in. You can fry a few of these on the side, but be careful because once you eat one, you can’t resist having another!
How to Handle Leftovers
If you can’t eat all of your fried pizzas that night, you can store them for leftovers. The next day you just need to warm your pizza fritta in the oven to enjoy them again! They aren’t quite as tasty as when you make them fresh but adding toppings will make it like mini panini.
How To Serve Fried Pizza
The best part about fried pizza is you can serve them however you want with your favorite toppings! You can top them with prosciutto, salami, mortadella, your favorite cheese, and even tomato sauce. They also taste amazing just plain!
Whatever toppings you love on your regular pizza will go perfectly on fried pizza.
Fried Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large pan
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 large pot
- 1 Rolling pin
- Plate
- fork
- knife
- Paper towel
- Stand mixer optional
- Drinking glass
- Kitchen towel or plastic wrap
- Metal skimmer for frying
Ingredients
- 2 cups of milk ½ liter
- 2 oz of butter 50 grams
- 1 oz of fresh yeast 25 grams or two sachets of dry yeast
- 35 oz of flour 1 kilo
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- Sunflower oil as much as required
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat 2 cups of milk just enough to warm it up – don’t let it boil.
- Once the milk is warm, add 2 ounces of butter. Let the butter melt in the milk, mix it well and remove from the stove.
- Fill a glass with a little bit of warm water and add the yeast. Mix until it dissolves into the water and set aside.
- Add 35oz of flour into a large mixing bowl and crack one egg into the flour. Beat the egg very well in the flour and then mix.
- Once combined, add the water and yeast to the bowl. Continue to mix until combined.
- Next, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of salt into the bowl and mix.
- Finally, add the milk and butter into the bowl and mix everything until you get a soft dough.
- In the bowl or flat surface, knead the dough by hand until it is soft and smooth. A stand mixer can also be used to knead if you prefer.
- Add a light coating of flour onto the surface of the large bowl and place the dough back in. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and rest for three hours.
- After the dough is done resting, knead the dough by hand on a flat surface.
- Cut the dough into small slices. Then into smaller pieces and roll them into a small ball.
- Lightly flour the surface and the dough and roll each ball out into a thin circle resembling a mini pizza.
- Cut a small hole in the middle of each circular piece of dough to help the dough in the cooking process.
- In a large pot, pour enough sunflower oil to begin frying the dough. Turn the stove to high heat.
- Once the oil is hot lay the dough into it one at a time. It will cook fast and puff right up to the surface.
- Constantly flip the dough until they become golden brown.
- Remove the dough and place it on a plate covered in a paper towel to cool.
- If you’d like, add your favorite cheese, meat, and even sauce on top. Or keep them plain.
- Serve them however you’d like!
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
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Hello,
i´ve made the dough (first pizza dough of my life). A bit stickyer than in your Nonnas video )too litte extra flour after mixing?) but alas.
After Resting and consequent massage i would like to put in the fridge for the next day. or multiple days. Can you please tell me how long i can i leave it in the fridge?
Thank you