Emilia Romagna: Panzerotti

Panzerotti are essentially mini-calzones or fried turnovers filled with a variety of ingredients, often including tomato sauce, cheese, and sometimes meats or vegetables. I have seen a number of blogs refer to them as the original pizza pocket…

Continuing on our savory pastry journey, these were easily a top contender for Italy. There are plenty of savory pies and tortas to choose from (maybe for Imola??) and of course calzones are a form of savory pastry themselves, even pizza could be considered a savory pastry at its heart. But when I came across panzerotti, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Simple, cheesy… fried.

For this year’s Emilia Romanga GP we’ll be enjoying these traditional panzerotti with the classic tomato, mozzarella, and basil filling, trying not to eat all of them in one sitting.

Panzerotti have a delightful crispy, golden exterior, which gives way to a warm and gooey filling full of tomatoey flavor (or whatever filling you choose to use!) The textures are surprisingly soft and almost luxurious, which I was not expecting since they are fried and full of cheese, but the dough and fresh mozzarella give these an almost sophisticated feel and make them oh so delicious.

For a full meal, serve with a simple side salad or fresh vegetable side dish, for more Italian recipes check out the Italy page, and for Sides or Salads there are pages for those too!

Panzerotti

Makes 8 panzerotti

For the dough
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (180 ml/g) warm water (100 to 110ºF)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (¼-ounce) packet active dry or instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the bowl
2 ½ cups (about 320g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the filling
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (not low moisture)
½ cup tomato purée or strained tomatoes
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh basil leaves, torn

For frying
3-4 cups canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying

To make the dough

Put warm water, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl. Mix and wait until it gets foamy (around 5 minutes).
Add olive oil, then mix again.
Add flour and salt. Use the dough hook attachment on the mixer's lowest speed until you get a mostly smooth dough (usually takes 6 to 7 minutes).
Take out the dough, lightly oil the bowl, and put the dough back in.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it's bigger by about one and a half times (usually takes 1 to 1½ hours). Meanwhile, work on the filling.

To make the filling

Start by draining and patting dry 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese with a paper towel. Then, tear it into small pieces. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain tomato puree to reduce liquid content as much as possible. In a medium bowl, combine the strained tomato purée with the ¾ teaspoon of dried oregano and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir together well. Set the tomato mixture and cheese aside until the dough is ready.
To assemble and fry the panzerotti, start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat. Then, gently punch down the dough you prepared earlier and divide it into 8 portions. Take one piece at a time and roll it into a tight circle on an unfloured work surface. As you roll, press down slightly. Once the dough starts to smooth out, continue rolling while lifting your fingers to form a cage around the dough. Once you have a fairly smooth ball, place it on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Next, lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Take one dough ball at a time, and roll it out into a 6-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Place an eighth of the tomato filling in the center of the round and flatten it slightly, top with an eighth of the cheese, and a few torn pieces of basil. Fold the round in half, making sure the top half completely covers the bottom half, and very gently press out any air. Seal the edges together by pressing down, then roll the rounded edge under itself by about 1/4 inch. Further seal the edge by pressing down with the tines of a fork. (Sealing is very important because the dough will puff up a lot during frying and threaten to burst the panzerotti open.) Return the assembled panzerotti to the baking sheet, keeping them covered with plastic wrap.

To fry

Heat 3 cups of canola oil in a Dutch oven or a 10-inch high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350° F. Place a wire rack over a second baking sheet. Fry the panzerotti in batches of 2, adding them to the hot oil and frying until golden brown, flipping once. This usually takes about 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the fried panzerotti to the wire rack. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from The Kitchn