Skip the pizza place and make this classic stuffed pastry pocket at home.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 cups (750 milliliters) pizza sauce
- 2 cups (230 grams) grated mozzarella
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) pizza toppings, such as diced salami, bell pepper, mushrooms, hot peppers, olives, chopped spinach, etc.
- One 18-ounce (about 500-gram) ball pizza dough, store-bought or homemade, recipe follows
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- Canola oil, for frying
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups (240 to 300 grams) bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 cup (187 milliliters) warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- Oil, for the bowl
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the pizza sauce with the mozzarella and Italian seasoning to taste. Stir in your desired pizza toppings. Pour the remaining 2 cups of sauce into a small saucepan and warm over low heat.
- Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal pieces. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and flatten into roughly 6-inch circles. Divide the filling onto the dough. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the edges of the dough with a little water then fold over into a semi-circle. Press well to adhere and seal the edges by pressing with a fork or folding and pinching together.
- Pour 1 inch of oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or pot. Heat the oil over medium heat to between 350 degrees F and 375 degrees F or until the surface shimmers and bubbles form around the handle of a wooden spoon when gently submerged.
- Fry the panzerotti in two batches for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping once.
- Transfer the fried panzerotti onto paper towel to absorb any excess oil and cool slightly before serving with extra sauce on the side for dipping.
- For the dough, add 2 cups of the flour to a large bowl along with the yeast, salt and sugar, and stir well to combine. Make a well in the center and add in the warm water and oil. Stir into a shaggy dough then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and springy, about 4 to 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer to make the dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a dinner plate, and set aside in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 568 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 23 mg |
| Sodium | 542 mg |
Reviews
I’ve made several times. Love this recipe. I have also baked them at 400 degrees in the oven.
Can you bake instead of fry?
Gross! – the pizza dough is too heavy… Holds all the oil… Greasy! The sauce? – we’ve had better at Toppers Pizza
These are just right for those times you’d like a slice or two of pizza, but don’t want an entire pie. I like the idea of designing your own filling ingredients. Each person can alter the filling depending on their taste. I used less oil for frying than Mary and it worked just fine. This will make repeated appearances in our house.
Can these be frozen then heated in microwave?