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Discover the irresistible homemade Panzerotti, these little pizza dough turnovers filled and fried! This great classic of Italian cuisine, a specialty of Puglia, is ultra gourmet. As crisp on the outside as they are melt-in-the-mouth on the inside, these golden half-moons will delight you as an aperitif or a main course.
For the record, we say "one panzerotto" and "some panzerotti".
💙 Why you'll love them
- They're really delicious- believe me, they're worth the detour!
- The garnish is 100% adaptable (tastes and convictions).
- They take you on a journey to the authentic South of Italy.
🧀 Ingredients
These are the main ingredients, and the quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour: all-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Water: use lukewarm.
- Olive oil: use good quality if possible, as it's an important ingredient in the recipe.
- Mozzarella: if you replace it with another cheese and it's not a hard one, drain it a few minutes beforehand: if it's too wet, it will soak the dough. When cooked, you risk having a cooked outside but a raw inside.
- Parma ham.
- Tomato sauce.
- Herbs.
✨ Customize your Panzerotti
You can add grilled eggplant or zucchini (when in season), button mushrooms, pieces of cooked squash, crème fraîche, spinach, goat's cheese with honey, etc... You can also replace Parma ham with pancetta, white ham or other ham. Be creative and have fun to your heart's content!
✅ Vegan and dairy-free version
To make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, simply replace the Parma ham with the meat substitute of your choice, and the mozzarella with a vegan cheese substitute you like. Also check that your tomato sauce is vegan and dairy-free.
🥰 Chef's tips
Dough rising and filling
- To ensure that your pizza dough rises properly, place it in a large bowl (it's going to get bigger, so it shouldn't be cramped) and wrap it in cling film or bee-wrap: no air should get through.
- Drain your mozzarella briefly so that it doesn't soggy up the dough (see above).
- Don't overfill your panzerotto, otherwise it will be hard to close and the edges won't stick well (it may explode when cooked).
- Make sure that the edges of the panzerotti are completely sealed: press well with your fingers, otherwise they may explode.
- Wait until the first Panzerotto is cooked before filling and baking another: otherwise, by the time the 1st Panzerotto is cooked, the mozzarella will have soaked into the dough of the second. And there's a risk of holes forming and exploding during cooking...
- Empty the air from your Panzerotto, otherwise it will swell and explode during cooking: after placing the filling and folding the panzerotto over itself, press it all over with your fingers before closing it completely to empty it of any air it may contain.
Cooking
- Panzerotti should be cooked in plenty of oil. They must float in it. Use a heavy, wide-bottomed pan that distributes the heat evenly.
- Place over medium heat. If the fire is too strong, the panzerotti will burn quickly on the outside, but leave the inside raw or may even explode.
- Don't put too much panzerotti in the pan, otherwise the temperature will drop too much and the panzerotti will cook less evenly.
- Turn them continuously during cooking, so that the "crust" forms immediately on both sides: this will prevent them from breaking. If you cook them on one side and then the other, the part that's not in the oil will swell up and cause holes. And so the filling will come out. Even when the crust has formed, keep turning them until they are golden brown on both sides.
- Once cooked, place the Panzerotti on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Calzone is a filled pizza dough turnover, like Panzerotti, except thatit's baked in the oven, whereas Panzerotti are fried in oil.
❄️ Storage / freezing
I recommend keeping the panzerotti for 48 to 72 hours. To warm them up, just pop them in the oven!
If you've made too many, you can also freeze them.
- Before cooking: once garnished, place in the freezer. Simply fry them when you need them, no special defrosting required.
- After cooking : same method. Simply pop them in the oven to thaw and reheat.
😋 Other Italian gems
If you make these Panzerotti, it would be so nice to leave me a comment and rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Tik Tok, or even send me a photo, I love seeing my little dishes in your homes!
📖 Recette
Italian Panzerotti
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅔ cup warm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
For the topping
- 2 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 slices Parma ham
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
For cooking
- sunflower-style cooking oil
Instructions
- Start by making the dough: in the bowl of your food processor (or in a simple bowl, if you don't have one), mix the flour with the instant baker's yeast. Then add the warm water, olive oil and salt.
- Mix for 5 minutes (more like 10 or 15 if you're mixing by hand: by the end you should have a smooth, slightly sticky dough) with the food processor at slow speed.
- Place the ball in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, spread with a brush and cover with cling film or bee-wrap. Find a warm place (around 82-86°F / 28-30°C) and leave the bowl to rest for around 1h30, until the ball has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has rested, degas it well, then put it back in the bowl and let it rest for another 30 minutes, still in a warm place and with the plastic film.
- Then, on a board with a little cornstarch, cut the dough into eight roughly equal pieces. Roll out with a rolling pin until the dough is fine. Meanwhile, place your frying oil in a large saucepan and heat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add a heaping teaspoon of the mixture to the center of the panzerotto, along with half a slice of Parma ham and a little mozzarella.
- Close the panzerotto by folding it over like a turnover, pressing the edges with your fingers to seal it (this step is very important, otherwise it may explode during cooking). Do the same with the other two panzerotti. Place them three at a time in the pan, turning them over and over. Top only the ones you're going to cook, and wait until you've cooked the others before topping them.
- Once golden brown, remove and place on paper towels. Panzerotti are best eaten hot. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
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