Pizza Fritta Recipe

For the dough balls

1. Place the water into a large bowl. Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add those dry ingredients to the water a bit at a time and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to form a dry rough mass.
2. Pour the oil over the dough, mix it in, and place all the rough dough onto a work surface. A large plastic cutting board works well to avoid any sticking.
3. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, place a clean bowl inverted over the dough and wait 30 minutes before resuming. Return to kneading after 30 minutes and make sure to work the dough for at least 5-7 minutes of total kneading time.
4. Place the bowl over the dough once more and let sit for 30-40 minutes to warm up.
5. Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls, weighing them to ensure they are roughly 85 grams (or 3 ounces) each.
6. Pull the dough towards its end repeatedly to form a smooth ball. Pinch the seam side and leave it on the bottom. Place the dough balls into oiled bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.

For the pizza fritta

1. Remove the dough balls (leave covered) and let sit for 90 minutes before heating the oil.
2. Flour your hands and a work surface and stretch each dough ball into a small round pizza (about 3-5 inches in diameter) Layinging each formed pizza onto parchment paper works well for easy prepping.
3. Pour olive oil (can use a mix of olive and vegetable oil too) at least 3/4 inches high in a Dutch oven or heavy frying pan. Heat oil to 370f.
4. Once the oil is at temp gently place the pizzas into the hot oil. Only fry 1-2 at a time or however many can fit without crowding the pan.
5. Use a ladle or large spoon to spoon the oil on top of the pizza dough so that both sides get an equal amount of color. Once the pizza dough is golden (about 4-5 minutes total cooking time) remove and place onto a wire rack. Repeat frying for the remaining dough.
6. The fried pizzas can be eaten right out of the oil with a sprinkle of powdered sugar for a sweet treat or they can be arranged on a baking sheet and topped with marinara, mozzarella, and Pecorino. Bake at 425f until the cheese slightly melts and the sauce gets hot (about 3-5 minutes). Individual rounds can also be topped with prosciutto and mozzarella and served without baking. The choice is yours. Enjoy!