Panzerotti Pugliesi (Fried Mozzarella and Tomato pizza Pockets)

With

Silvia Colloca

Puglian fried pizza pockets stuffed with mozzarella and tomato. Bari street food.

Cook

MINS

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About this recipe

Silvia Colloca's Puglian pizza pockets stuffed with mozzarella and crushed tomato, sealed and dropped into hot oil until they puff and gold. The cheese stretches when torn open, the dough crisps where the oil hits. Street food from Bari, eaten standing.

Panzerotti are the deep-fried half-moon pastries that line every street stall and bakery counter in Bari, Lecce and the broader Puglian region. The dish is essentially a pizza-pocket, descended from the broader Italian calzone tradition but distinct in being fried rather than baked, giving a lighter, blistered, almost donut-like crust that the baked version cannot replicate.

The long-prove dough (the same yeasted, lightly-oiled dough used for pizza bases) is non-negotiable. A rushed dough produces dense, heavy panzerotti that absorb too much oil; a properly proved dough (at least an hour at room temperature, longer is better) gives the light, airy texture that defines the dish. Roll the dough out to about three millimetres thick; cut into discs about ten centimetres across; spoon the filling into the centre; fold over and seal the edges with a fork.

The filling needs to be thicker than a standard pizza sauce. Watery filling will break the seal and leak into the oil; a properly reduced tomato sauce mixed with grated fior di latte (rather than torn chunks, which release more water as they melt) holds inside the pocket throughout the fry. Hot oil at 180 degrees, three minutes a side until deep gold. Drain on paper, salt while hot, eat immediately. A cold beer alongside; eat with hands at the bench.

Ingredients

For the dough:

500g Laucke Wallaby Bakers Flour
7g active dry yeast (or 20g fresh yeast)
2 tsp Laucke Bread Improver
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
300ml warm water (approximately)

For the filling:

200g Floridia Mozzarella, finely chopped and well drained
150g peeled tinned tomatoes or passata, drained of excess liquid
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried oregano or fresh basil (optional)

For frying:

Sunflower oil or light olive oil, for deep frying

Method

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it begins to foam. Add the flour, salt, bread improver and olive oil. Mix until it comes together into a dough, then knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise for about 1.5 to 2 hours in a warm spot, or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out and set aside to let it rest while you prepare the filling.
Now to prepare the filling. Combine the chopped mozzarella with the drained tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano or basil if using. Place the mixture in a sieve over a bowl to drain off excess liquid. You want it to be quite dry so the dough doesn’t tear or become soggy.
Roll out the dough and cut it into rounds using a cookie cutter or a knife. Then, roll each round again until it is about 3–4 mm thick, or to your desired thickness. You should end up with a total of 8 rounds.
Spoon a bit of filling onto one half of each circle, leaving a border around the edge. Fold over to create a half-moon shape and press the edges to seal. You can crimp with your fingers or press with a fork to make sure they’re tightly closed.
Heat oil in a deep pan to about 170–180°C. Fry the panzerotti a few at a time, turning once, until golden and puffed—about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot, with a sprinkle of salt and maybe a napkin for the inevitable cheese drips.

Silvia Colloca

Silvia Colloca is a Roman-born cook, opera singer and cookbook author who has spent the last decade documenting the regional cooking of Italy from her home in Sydney. She fronts Silvia’s Masterclass, working through the country one mother-recipe at a time. Her style is patient: fresh pasta by hand, long-rise focaccia, sauces built slow.