Panzerotti

Panzerotti are like deep fried mini calzones and have to be among the most delicious food items on the planet. They come from southern Italy and are typical street snacks of the Apuglia region. My grandmother came from Molfetta and I will never forget the culinary epiphany I had when I first tried them as an eight-year old fresh from 1970's England.

I'm sure my Italian relatives will have plenty to say about my sacrilegious English version, but this is how I do them. This recipe makes 16 small panzerotti which are good for pre-dinner snacks.

Ingredients
For the bread:
225g strong white bread flour
140mls milk/water mixture
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp instant yeast granules

For the filling:
1 tin canned tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced finely
basil
salt
1 tsp sugar
olive oil
1 mozzarella, cubed

Instructions
1. Make dough either by hand (mixing all ingredients and kneading for 10 mins), or in a bread-maker on the dough setting. Let rise until doubled in size.

2. To make the sauce: saute the onion in olive oil until soft, add tomatoes and seasoning (basil, salt, sugar), stir and simmer until thick and cooked (about 15-20 mins). Leave to cool.

3. Roll dough into a sausage about 40 cm long. Cut into 16 pieces of equal size. If you want to be scientific about it, each piece should weigh between 20-25 g.

4. Roll out one piece to a circle about 10cm diameter. Keep the other pieces under a tea-towel.

5. Add a heaped teaspoon of cooled tomato mixture into the centre of the dough circle and add a couple of pieces of cheese. Do not be tempted to overfill, otherwise they burst during cooking.

6. Pat the edges of the dough with a dampened finger, fold over and seal the edges thoroughly. Crimp with your finger.

7. Heat the oil until it's frying temperature. Add the panzerotti as soon as it's made to the hot oil. Fry for 30 secs -1 minute on each side until puffed and golden.

8. Place on kitchen roll to drain excess oil. Cover with tea-towel until ready to serve.

Notes for frying:

a) Do not pre-make a whole batch and let them sit, as the tomato sauce will seep through and make the dough soggy. Make each one and fry individually.

b) Check and reduce the oil temperature during frying, as the oil will get very hot and start cooking them too fast. Keep the oil hot but on low-medium heat once it's reached temperature.

c) Watch each panzerotti closely during frying as they tend to 'float' on one side and can easily burn on one side. Use a utensil to force them over and fry on the other side.