The origin dates back to the 16th century with the arrival of the tomato in Italy, apparently in Bari. What is certain, is that according to tradition, housewives used to prepare panzerotti with leftovers from bread dough and putting tomatoes and cheese inside which were then proposed as a simple and rustic but certainly delicious dinner.
Today the panzerotto has become a must in Apulian cuisine and is prepared in countless variations. Everyone has his own recipe or a particular technique such as the addition of oil, milk, or crushed potato, but the real secret lies in the quality of the ingredients and an excellent leavening.
This recipe belongs to Francesca a true Apulian, who has been cooking in Milan for family and friends for many years now. Her record is 200 fried panzerotti in one evening! The recipe belongs to her mother-in-law who used to prepare and take them to the Easter Monday picnic along with onion calzone and baked pasta (super light dishes!).
Dosage for about 20 panzerotti
Ingredients
Dough: 1 lb flour, 5 oz water, 4 oz milk, 1 oz brewer's yeast, 1 oz softened butter, 1 teaspoon of salt
Filling: 2 oz olive oil, 7 oz cherry tomatoes or peeled tomatoes, 1 mozzarella or 1 tablespoon of strong ricotta cheese, grated pecorino romano, salt and pepper to taste, sunflower oil for frying
Method
Mix the ingredients and form a ball, slice it and let it rest for an hour at room temperature. In the meantime, fill a bowl with crushed nicely drained cherry tomatoes or peeled tomatoes and cook them in a pan with oil, salt and pepper (adding the salted ricotta cheese) so that all the flavors are fully absorbed and has a soft consistency. Let it cool a little bit. Divide the dough into many balls and roll out into thin discs of the desired size, with enough space to fill and close them. Let it rest for a few more minutes, then lay the filling and the pecorino cheese inside and close forming a half-moon. It’s really important you pay attention to the closure to prevent them from opening when cooking. If you use mozzarella instead of ricotta, drain it very well and cut it into cubes adding it to the tomato and grated pecorino cheese directly on the disc of dough. Finish with a fresh basil leaf, if you like. Heat plenty of oil in a large pan and fry a couple of panzerotti at a time. As soon as they take color on one side it’s good to turn them over to cook the other side. When they are nicely browned, drain them and let them rest a few minutes before eating them. There are countless variations for the filling for example, we propose turnip tops sautéed in a pan with oil and fiordilatte or an even tastier filling could be with medium-aged caciocavallo cheese and capocollo.