Fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli

Name: Fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 68 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 8 cups; Water 2.7 cups; Fine salt 6 tsp; Fresh brewer's yeast 1 ½ tsp; Semolina (for dusting) to taste; Peeled tomatoes San Marzano 1.8 cups; Cicoli (fried pork fat) 12.5 oz; Smoked scamorza cheese 12.3 oz; Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup; Whole milk 2 tbsp; Pecorino cheese (to be grated) 2 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Peanut seed oil approximately 12.8 cups

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 8 min
Makes: 6 pieces
Cost: Low
Note + about 3 ½ h total rising time (the cooking time refers to one pizza only)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Daniele Uditi

The fried pizza certainly deserves a place on the podium of Neapolitan street food! We are not talking about the typical fried pizzelle, or montanara, but a real calzone enriched with various fillings. The fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli is perhaps one of the most beloved versions! Here we offer you the recipe created by Daniele Uditi, an Italian pizza chef who became famous in the United States thanks to his interpretation of the Neapolitan pizza: by following the instructions, you will discover how to create a real masterpiece with your own hands, starting from the preparation of the pizza dough to the filling made with ricotta, pecorino, tomato, and smoked scamorza. A soft and tasty filling enriched with the strong touch of pepper and cicoli, an essential ingredient in many traditional Neapolitan recipes like the tortano and the casatiello. If you've never tasted fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli, this is your chance... maybe along with the version with mortadella and fiordilatte!

INGREDIENTS

For the dough (for 6 fried pizzas): Type 00 flour 8 cups (1 kg); Water 2.7 cups (650 g); Fine salt 6 tsp (35 g); Fresh brewer's yeast 1 ½ tsp (7 g); Semolina to taste - (for dusting)

For filling: Peeled tomatoes 1.8 cups (400 g) - San Marzano; Cicoli (fried pork fat) 12.5 oz (350 g); Smoked scamorza cheese 12.3 oz (350 g); Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup (250 g); Whole milk 2 tbsp (30 g); Pecorino cheese 2 oz (60 g) - (to be grated); Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For frying: Peanut seed oil 12.8 cups (3 l) - approximately

Preparation

How to prepare Fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli

To prepare the fried pizza, first pour the flour and 2 1/3 cups of water into a large bowl 1, then knead with your hands 2 until the liquid is absorbed 3. Cover the mixture with the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.

After the resting time, crumble the yeast in the remaining 3.4 oz of water 4, stir to dissolve it completely and add it to the dough 5. Knead with your hands to absorb the liquid, then add the salt 6.

Continue to work first in the bowl 7 and then on the work surface 8 until the dough is no longer sticky. Form a dough ball 9, cover with the bowl, and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

After this time, divide the dough with a dough scraper into 6 portions of 9 oz each 10. Give each some reinforcing folds by pulling the edges outward and bringing them toward the center 11, then roll the dough on the work surface to form balls. Place the balls in a proofing box, spacing them apart 12. Cover with the appropriate lid and let rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the filling ingredients: in a bowl pour the ricotta and milk 13, salt and pepper 14, then mix well with a spoon 15.

Season the peeled tomatoes with a pinch of salt 16 and crush them with your hands 17. Cut the smoked scamorza into strips 18.

Finally, cut the cicoli first into slices 19 and then into cubes 20. After the resting time, the dough balls will have doubled in volume 21.

Sprinkle the work surface with semolina and spread the dough with your fingertips 22 until you get a diameter of 12 inches 22. Distribute a spoonful of ricotta in the center 23, then add a handful of cicoli 24.

Continue with the scamorza 25, grated pecorino 26, and a generous grind of pepper 27.

Finally, season with a spoonful of peeled tomatoes 28. Fold the dough into a half-moon 29 and press the edges with your fingers to seal them 30. Proceed in this way to fill all the pizzas.

You're ready to fry: heat the seed oil in a large pot to a temperature of 340°F-350°F, then immerse one stuffed pizza at a time 31. Fry for 6-8 minutes, using a spoon to cover the surface with oil 32. When it's golden brown, drain and transfer to fried paper. Your fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli is ready to be enjoyed 33!

Storage

It's recommended to consume fried pizza with ricotta and cicoli as soon as it's ready.

The pizza dough, once risen, can also be frozen, preferably already divided into portions, and stored in a freezer bag. Subsequently, it will be sufficient to let your portion thaw at room temperature and proceed according to the recipe.