Panzerotti are a speciality of Puglia, which is part of the traditional and poor recipes of this region. They are half moons of dough filled with mozzarella and tomato.
The panzerotto is often compared or confused with the calzone: their dough is very similar and looks like pizza dough, the filling can be identical too (we often talk about mozzarella and tomato). However there is a very important difference in baking: if the calzones are baked in the oven, the panzerotti are fried.
As far as the filling is concerned, panzerotti are often revisited. They can be filled a little as you like by adding other ingredients: ham or other types of cold cuts, vegetables, stronger cheeses or ricotta cheese to accompany or replace mozzarella, olives, tuna, etc…
Here we present you the traditional version which you can then modify to your preference.
Ingredients for about 20-30 panzerotti, depending on size
For the dough
Flour – 1 kg
Baker’s yeast – 1 cube
Salt – 1 tablespoon
Warm water – about 500 ml
For the trim
Mozzarella well drained – 300 gr
Tomatoes – 6
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Capers
Preparation of panzerotti
Mix the flour, salt and baker’s yeast with the warm water and knead the dough well. Let it rise for about 1 hour (a little more if it is cold).
Dice the mozzarella and tomatoes in a colander and let it drain. Once the mozzarella has returned its excess water, pour it into a salad bowl and add a little salt, olive oil and capers.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2 millimetres. Cut out discs about 15 cm in diameter. Place the stuffing on one half of each disc and close them in half-moons, gluing the edges tightly to prevent the stuffing from escaping during cooking.
Tip: you can spread beaten egg on the edges before gluing them to close them better.
Heat a good amount of peanut oil. When the oil is hot, fry the panzerottis in small batches to maintain the temperature of the oil. When they are golden brown, remove them and serve them hot.
It’s ready, bon appétit!
Tips
Panzerotti can be eaten as an aperitif or in a buffet. In this case, mini panzerotti of about 5 cm are often preferred.
Panzerotti are perfect for a lunch or dinner and are often accompanied by beer or soft drinks, almost never wine.