Strudelicious Panzerotti Recipes

STRUDELICIOUS PANZEROTTI

Steps:

• To make dough, combine both flours, ground flax, yeast, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.Measure warm water in measuring cup, then stir in olive oil and honey. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix using a wooden spoon to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Spray another medium bowl with olive oil spray (or coat lightly with olive oil) and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size, 20 to 30 minutes.
• While dough is rising, make sauce and filling.
• To make sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil. (Sauce may be made one or two days in advance and kept refrigerated.)
• To make filling, heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onions, and bell pepper. Cook and stir until sausage is no longer pink. Add mushrooms. Cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in turkey pepperoni and oregano. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. (Filling may be made one or two days in advance and kept refrigerated.)
• Tip: Look for a bag of pre-shredded mixed Italian cheeses (such as Mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan, and Provolone) in the dairy aisle of your grocery store.
• Spray parchment paper lightly with olive oil spray (or brush lightly with oil). When dough has risen, turn out onto parchment paper and, using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle to fit parchment. Sprinkle dough with extra flour if too sticky.
• Spread 1/3 cup sauce lengthwise in centre of dough. (Make a "strip" of sauce measuring about 12 x 5 inches; leave 1-inch margin at top and bottom and 2½-inch margins on both sides). Spread filling evenly over sauce. Top with grated cheese.
• Using a sharp knife, make 8 cuts (about 1½ inches wide and 2 inches long) down each long side of dough. To braid dough and enclose filling, fold 1-inch top dough border over filling then, beginning with left-hand side, fold first dough strip at a slight downward angle over the filling. Do not stretch the dough too much. Fold first right-hand dough strip over top and continue to braid dough, tucking in ends and bottom dough border. (This sounds complicated but you're simply braiding the dough over the filling as if you are making a strudel!).
• Brush top of panzerotti lightly with beaten egg.
• Place panzerotti (and parchment) on baking sheet. Bake at 400ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove panzerotti from oven and let cool 5 minutes before slicing (it's hot!). Slice into four pieces and serve with warm sauce on the side.

POTATO PANZAROTTI

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, peel, and mash them in a bowl.
• Combine mashed potatoes, 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs, eggs, flour, Parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl; mix by hand until smooth. Scoop up 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture; shape into an oval, cylindrical croquette. Repeat with remaining mixture.
• Pour remaining 1 1/4 cups bread crumbs into a shallow plate. Dredge croquettes in the bread crumbs.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Fry croquettes in the hot oil in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels.

PANZEROTTI

Steps:

• Pour enough canola or vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven to come 4 to 5 inches up the sides. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the edge of the pan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to 365 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once warm, add the tomato puree and cook until bubbling and most water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Dice the mozzarella and place in a strainer to remove any excess liquid. Set aside.
• Dust a work surface with flour. Roll the pizza dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick. Using a 4- to 5-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons cooled tomato puree on one half of a round. Top with a basil leaf and 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Fold the other half of the round over to enclose the filling and pinch the edges to seal. Continue until all dough is filled and sealed. (At this point you can freeze the panzerotti for up to a month.)
• Drop 2 to 3 panzerotti into the preheated oil and fry until golden, flipping them frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Continue until all the panzerotti are cooked. Sprinkle with salt. Eat them hot!

BEST PANZEROTTI RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk together yeast, sugar and warm water in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
• Mix together flour and salt. Add oil, yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.
• While the dough is rising, you can make the panzerotti filling.
• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together tomatoes, cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• After the dough is ready, divide it into 6 pieces.
• Press down the ball with your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a circle about 6 inches in diameter.
• Add about 2 tablespoons of filling and 3-4 pepperoni to each piece.
• Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold the dough to create a semi-circle.
• Pinch the edges to seal the pocket. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
• Pour oil (about 1 inch) into a deep skillet and heat the oil to 350°.
• Once hot, add a few panzerotti pockets to the skillet. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, turning every minute until both sides are golden brown. (Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.)
• Use a slotted spoon to remove panzerotti and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve and enjoy!