Pizza fritta, a traditional Italian dish from Naples, is typically made by frying a disc of pizza dough before adding toppings and serving. Alternatively, the fillings can be enclosed in a pocket of dough, similar to a calzone, which is then fried. This frying method allows for the preparation of pizza without the need for a pizza oven, making it ideal for street food vendors where an oven may not be practical. Pizza fritta emerged during World War II in Naples, which faced around 200 Allied air raids. According to Simone Cinotto, an associate professor at the Università di Scienze Gastronomiche, “Pizza fritta really looks like a wartime food.” With many ovens destroyed and limited ingredients available, locals started deep-frying dough and using lower-quality ingredients like anchovies and spoiled vegetables. Known as “the pizza of the people,” street vendors, sold pizza fritta on credit, allowing customers to eat it that day and pay later. This culinary innovation is featured in Vittorio de Sica’s 1954 film *L'Oro di Napoli*, where a young Sophia Loren portrays a pizza fritta maker, marking her rise to international fame.
La Pizza Fritta Napoletana
Ingredients:
500 g of flour; 300 ml of warm water; 10 g of salt; 10 g of sugar; 15 g of fresh brewer's yeast; 200 g of ricotta; 100g of mozzarella; 100g of salami; extra virgin olive oil for frying
Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar.
Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add it to the flour mixture. Knead until you obtain a smooth and elastic consistency. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest for about 2 hours, until it doubles in volume. While the dough rests, prepare the fillings by cutting the mozzarella and salami into small pieces. Mix the ricotta with a little salt and pepper to flavor it. Once the dough has risen, divide it into small balls the size of an orange.
Roll each ball of dough into a disc approximately 15cm in diameter. Place a spoonful of ricotta, some pieces of mozzarella and salami in the center of each dough disc.
Fold the dough in half to form a calzone and seal the edges well.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Dip the pizzas in the hot oil and fry them until they are golden and crispy on both sides.
Drain the pizzas on absorbent paper to remove excess oil and then serve.
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