Italian cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Panzerotti Pugliesi

Apulian dough pockets with mozzarella and tomato, deep-fried golden brown and stretchy hot inside.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g flour
• 1/2 cube fresh yeast (or 1 tsp dry yeast)
• 280 ml lukewarm water
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 300 g mozzarella (unsalted, well drained)
• 300 g strained tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 800 ml frying oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, knead for 10 min with flour, salt and olive oil into a soft dough, and let rise covered for 1 hour until doubled in size.
2. Dice the mozzarella small and let it drain in a sieve for 20 min, season the strained tomatoes with oregano, salt and pepper, and drain in a sieve for 10 min.
3. Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll each one out into a 15 cm circle.
4. Place 1 tbsp tomato and some mozzarella on one half of each disc, moisten the edge with water, fold over and seal firmly with a fork - otherwise the filling will leak out while frying.
5. Heat the frying oil to 175°C and fry the panzerotti two at a time for 2-3 min per side, until puffed up and deep golden brown.
6. Drain on paper towels, salt briefly and serve immediately while very hot - the cheese will still stretch into strings then.