Little rounds of dough, fried until golden and topped with whatever's in the fridge. The second recipe in my cookbook series.
I'm cooking my way through Coming Home to Sicily in real time, and the second recipe is pizzelle: little fried pizzas. I made them on an ordinary Wednesday, late in the afternoon, for an early dinner before the evening pulled everyone in different directions.
It's beautifully simple, the kind of recipe you end up knowing by heart and making often.
A little dough, a hot pan, and whatever's in the fridge.
- 170 g bread flour
- 2 g (about ½ teaspoon) active dry yeast
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup warm water
- Extra virgin olive oil, or half olive oil and half another frying fat you like, for frying
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté
- Tomato sauce
- Grated mozzarella
- Pepperoni (optional)
- Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Mix in the warm water until the dough comes together.
- Knead on the counter for 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth and soft. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise about 1 hour, a little less in a warm kitchen.
- Divide the dough into 12 balls.
- Pat each ball into a fluffy disc about 3 to 4 inches across, flattening and stretching it with your fingers. No rolling pin needed.
- Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and come about halfway up the dough. Fry 1 to 2 minutes a side, turning once, until golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels.
- Spread about a teaspoon of Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté and tomato sauce on each, then add mozzarella and pepperoni.
- Warm in a toaster oven at about 400°F for a couple of minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
A few thoughts
Some doughs fight you. They're fussy, won't rise, or turn out too heavy. This Sicilian pizza dough is perfect! It calls for a handful of things you already have, makes just enough, and leaves almost no mess behind. You combine the ingredients, let the dough rise, roll it into balls, and shape each one just before it goes into the oil. The rise is short and the frying is shorter: a few minutes for the whole batch, and dinner is on the table.
On the dough
I used bread flour for a bit of extra chewiness. The book calls for durum wheat or semolina flour, but all-purpose flour would work just fine too. I used an equivalent amount of active dry yeast instead of the fresh called for. The book says to knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and very soft. I gave it maybe 4 or 5 minutes, and the texture was lovely. My kitchen is warm, so it rose in less than an hour.
Shaping
No rolling pin. I patted each dough ball into a fluffy disc, then flattened and stretched it a little with my fingers to a roughly 3 to 4 inch circle.
The oil
This is not a full floating fry, just a quick one. Use olive oil, or half olive oil and half another frying fat you like. Use enough to cover the bottom of the pan and come about halfway up the dough. How much depends on your pan, of course.
The toppings
About a small spoonful of sauce on each. I spread on a little of our Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté with some tomato sauce, then grated mozzarella and pepperoni, because that's what I had on hand. Anything you already have works: cheese, sauce, roasted veg or simply dipped in olive oil.
To finish
I finished the pizzelle in the mini toaster oven to warm the sauce and melt the cheese, at about 400°F for a couple of minutes.
What comes out of the pan
Twelve little pizzas, 3 to 4 inches across, golden and puffed and a little chewy. About three bites of perfection each, while you're reaching for the next one.
These pizzelle make a perfectly quick weeknight dinner whenever you need one, or whenever you just want to be together in the kitchen with your family.
Adapted from Coming Home to Sicily by Fabrizia Lanza.
One of those recipes you end up knowing by heart, and making often.
