Pizza Fritta (Fried Pizza)

Name: Pizza Fritta (Fried Pizza)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water; 1 1/2 tsp dried active yeast; 1/2 sugar; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup pizza sauce; 1/3 cup sunflower oil; 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese; fresh basil leaves

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Pizza Fritta, also known as Pizza Montanara, is an Italian fried pizza that will be ready in just 15 minutes, and no baking is needed. I topped my fried pizza bases with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves.

fried pizza fritta topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella and basil leaves.

Pizza Fritta Recipe (Fried Pizza)

Friends, I make these small fried pizzas A LOT for my family. They love to have them for lunch, and I usually top them with whatever I have in the fridge: cooked chicken, ground beef, olives, bell pepper or mushrooms.

They are insanely easy and delicious! Even my youngest daughter loves to take them in her lunch box for school.

However, I kept this recipe simple and basic, and I only used the classic toppings for this Italian fried pizza, which are pizza sauce, mozzarella and basil.

To make this fried pizza, you'll require all the ingredients that you usually need to make a pizza. Although, instead of using an oven, we'll be frying our pizza base to reveal a crisp bottom.

These Pizza Fritte make for great appetizer, lunch, snack or light dinner.

What Is Pizza Fritta?

Pizza Fritta means "fried pizza"; they are classic Neapolitan street food that is so simple and easy to make.

They look like small miniature pizzas, except they take much less time and effort to cook up. Small disc shapes and fried. Then topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil leaves.

They're pretty straightforward to make. Oh, and as a twist, they're a lot crispier than pizza too.

Why I Love This Recipe

Delicious, classic Neapolitan street food that is so popular in Italian restaurants.
Easy homemade pizza for lunch or dinner, no baking is needed!
This is a versatile recipe; you can make a sweet version of these mini pizzas.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour: To make the base of the pizza.
Lukewarm water: Just what you use in your cooking.
Dried active yeast: Before frying, it help the pizza base to rise.
Granulated sugar: For moisture in the dough.
Salt: To taste.
Sunflower oil: Or use vegetable oil, olive oil, whatever you'd like your Fritte to be fried in.
Pizza sauce: Whichever you prefer, home-made or store-bought. I used store-bought.
Mozzarella cheese: My favorite cheese; I use it for all my pizza recipes.
Basil leaves: For a garden-fresh topping.

“See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.”

Variations & Substitutions

This pizza base is a versatile piece of fried bread that can be devoured in so many different ways. Here are some of my suggestions:

Top this Italian Pizza Fritta with pistachio pesto, some garlic and homemade ricotta cheese or Homemade Cream Cheese for a mouthful of flavour.
You can add diced onion, garlic, bell peppers, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. Take the extra mile and add some black olives too.
You can also mix your choice of protein into the tomato sauce and spread it on top of the Fritta. Chicken, meat, and cottage cheese taste delightful on this crisp Fritta.
You don't have to make your Pizza Fritta savoury. You can also turn it into a dessert. Add a spoonful of Nutella alongside some soft fruit, such as bananas or strawberries, for a sweet treat.

How To Make The Pizza Fritta?

Making Pizza Fritta requires two main steps; making the pizza base and then topping it.

Mix together yeast, warm water and sugar. Add flour, salt and the active yeast mixture and knead.

One - Make the pizza dough: In a small bowl, mix together yeast, lukewarm water and sugar. Set aside in a warm place for 8-10 minutes or until bubbles form (photo 1).

Two: Now, take out a second bowl that is larger in size. In this large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and the dried active yeast mixture and knead for 9-10 minutes until it is smooth (photo 2).

knead until the dough is soft, cover and let it rise and double in size.

Three: Once you are done kneading and a soft dough is formed, transfer it to an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it set in a warm place to rise and double in size (photo 3 & 4).

divide it into eight equal portions and roll the balls into a 5-inch circles.

Four: After the dough has risen to a considerable size, divide it into eight equal portions, and form them into small balls (photo 5).

Five: Using a rolling pin, roll the ball into a 5-inch circle. You can also gently press the ball with your fingers to form the circle if you don't have a rolling pin on hand (photo 6).

Fry the pizza dough until golden brown then top with the sauce and cheese.

Six - Fry the pizza dough: Heat the oil of your choice in a large frying pan. Then, fry the small pizzas in the hot oil until golden brown and drain them on paper towel (photo 7).

Seven - Top the pizza: After draining them on paper towels, place them on a serving plate and spread spoonfuls of pizza sauce, followed by mozzarella cheese. Finally, garnish the pizza with 3-4 fresh basil leaves (photo 8).

Voila! An exotic dish, straight from the streets of Naples, is ready to excite some guests!

Expert Tips!

Dust your hands and the kitchen counter with some flour whilst working with the dough. While kneading it, or forming it into small circles, the dusted flour will prevent your hands from sticking to it.
Either use a large frying pan to fry the pizza base or fry them one at a time. This way, they get plenty of room to rise, and their shape won't be ruined.
A good trick to test if the oil is ready for frying is to insert any of your wooden kitchen utensils into the oil. If the wooden spoon/utensil has bubbles formed around it, then the oil is ready for frying.
You may place the Pizza Fritta in the oven for a couple of minutes to allow the cheese to melt, although it's completely optional.

Pizza Fritta Vs Calzone

Both are the same thing. To turn your Pizza Fritta into Calzone, all you have to do is place the toppings into the uncooked dough circle, fold it in half, and press the edges to close it.

Next, fry it in oil, just like you would a Pizza Fritte. When you take it out of the frying pan, drain it as usual. That's it! Now, you have made Calzone.

fried pizza fritta and basil leaves are on the table.

Serving Suggestions

These Pizza Frittas are commonly served as appetizers before a scrumptious meal. But I suggest you plate this with a herby protein salad such as Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad, Italian Shrimp Pasta Salad or Greek Chicken Salad Recipe and make it a whole meal of its own!

Personally, I love to serve them with sauteed veggies, such as Buttery Peas Recipe or Roasted Green Beans and Carrots.

Ta-duh! A perfect afternoon brunch is ready to go, serve with Melon Ice Cream, Red Bean Ice Cream or Black Raspberry Ice Cream.

Recipe FAQs

How will the cheese melt if we add it after it has been fried?

Mozzarella cheese has a lower melting point than other cheeses. So, when you place the cheese on the Fritta while it is still hot, it'll cause the mozzarella to melt. If your cheese isn't as melted as you'd like it to be, you can always give the Fritta a few minutes in the oven.

How much oil should I pour into the frying pan to fry the Fritte?

You don't need a lot of oil to make your Fritte. Less is more. However, the amount of oil you should pour into the frying pan depends on the size of your utensil. Generally, 0.5cm of depth should be fine. Remember, you can always add more. However, if you have too much oil in the pan, you'll have to figure out what to do with it later. So, save yourself the trouble and pour little oil, to begin with.

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