Apulian fried Panzerotti are a street food (but also a comfort food) typical of the Italian Apulia region tradition. Puglia also called Apulia is a region in southeastern Italy. It extends from the Fortore River in the northwest to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca at the tip of the Salentine Peninsula (the “heel” of Italy) and comprises the provincie of Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, and Taranto.
Panzerotti have the shape of half-moons of leavened dough, filled with stringy mozzarella and tasty tomato.
They can also be prepared with different fillings such as minced meat, peas, mortadella, turnips but always accompanied by stringy cheese. The mozzarella can be replaced with scamorza or treccia, the important thing is that it is not too watery. The tomato sauce can be replaced with peeled tomatoes or fresh tomatoes.
Like many typical dishes of the Italian culinary tradition, the recipe for Panzerotti also varies from family to family.
If you like the Apulian Cuisine, take a look also at these recipes: Focaccia Barese and Rice Potatoes and Mussels.
To prepare the fried Panzerotti, mix the durum wheat semolina and the 00 flour in a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water, taken from the total dose, and add the sugar. Add the dissolved yeast to the flour 4; in the remaining water, the destiny melt the big sale 5 and pour the liquid flush on the flour, starting to mix the ingredients with your hands 6. If we do it with the planetary mixer, mount the hook and knead at medium speed.
Add the dissolved yeast to the flour; in the remaining water, melt thesalt and pour the liquid flush over the flour, starting to mix the ingredients with your hands. If you want to do it with the planetary mixer, mount the hook and knead at medium speed.
Also add extra virgin olive oil and knead vigorously; transfer the dough onto a pastry board and continue to work it to obtain a smooth and soft dough.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half (it will have to double in volume). A warm place could be any place in your kitchen far from a cold window or any other source of cold.
When rising is complete, form balls of dough (80gr), cover with a cloth and leave to rise again for half an hour.
When the leavening is complete, lay each ball with the rolling pin, forming discs of fairly thin dough.
At the center of each disc, place a spoonful of filling and a few cubes of mozzarella, moisten the edge of each dough with a brush of oil or a little water, close them in half-moon shape and make sure the edges are completely closed. You can trim the edges with the tips of a fork or simply with your fingers, putting a lot of pressure.
To not moisten the mixture, fry immediately in plenty of extra virgin olive oil (at 180°) on both sides until golden brown. The panzerotti should be fried a few at a time: 2-3 at the most, because as soon as they are put in the oil they will have to be turned over and over, to ensure that both sides immediately form the crust, which will prevent the panzerotto from breaking.
Place them on a plate with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Panzerotti should be enjoyed very hot! If you had to prepare them a little in advance, before serving, put them in a baking dish and heat them for about ten minutes in the oven at 100-120 °.
The temperature of the environment: generally, the panzerotti are prepared in winter, because the temperature of the environment is lower and the panzerotti that are waiting to be fried rise less, reducing the risk of breaking during frying. If you decide to do them in the summer, make sure you fry them immediately.
The oil and its temperature: the panzerotti are cooked in abundant sunflower oil. They should, if possible, float in the oil. Bring a large-bottomed pan, possibly with a heavy bottom, that spreads the heat evenly. After heating the oil, place a moderate flame. If the fire is too strong, the panzerotti will quickly burn outside, leaving the inside raw.
Storage: the panzerotti are also delicious the next day, warmed in the oven or in the microwave. However, if you have many of them leftover, you can freeze them in frosting bags. It will be enough to thaw them a couple of minutes in the microwave or ten minutes in the traditional oven at 150 °. They will be like freshly fried!
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Brian
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