Can you deep fry pizza? Well, from fish and chips to deep fried Mars bars, fried foods are a way of life in the UK, so let’s just say that if it exists, you can probably deep fry it! In fact, pizza has become available in many chip shops and street food stands across the nation, selling crispy deep-fried pizza alongside more traditional fare both with and without the batter. The Pizza Fritta of Napoli, Italy, which is a complete pizza topped with another round of dough before being deep fried to a crisp without any batter, is probably the closest related recipe or inspiration for this innovation.
When it comes to deep fried pizza, the finished result can vary significantly depending on the batter – in fact, most cooks use the same batter they use for fish and chips. A typical batter will be made of flour, water, baking powder, salt, pepper, and other spices, though the exact components may differ greatly. Beer is probably the most frequently used replacement for water. Below, Frymax will be taking all this into account while providing you with what we have found to be the best crispy fried pizza recipe available.
Traditional Differences between Pizza and Deep-fried Pizza
A whole baked pizza may occasionally be dipped in batter by chefs to create a deep-fried version that, aside from the batter covering, resembles a normal pizza. However, most fish and chip shops will coat and fry one slice at a time as customers order.
A calzone, which only requires half the room in the fryer, can be rapidly battered and deep fried as an alternative. The local variation of deep-fried pizza, which is available with a variety of standard toppings like pepperoni, mushroom, and onions, is frequently served with fries, just like fish.
When preparing Pizza Fritta in Italy, the batter is not even considered – and using leftover pizza is considered to be a travesty! Instead, more traditional cooks make a fresh, small pizza and then add another piece of dough to the top. This deep-fried pizza can be carefully placed into oil after the sides are sealed for a quick crisping.
What Other Toppings Can You Add To a Deep-fried Pizza Recipe?
Any ingredients that you would add to a conventional crust can be added to your deep-fried pizza. Consider including pepperoni, pork, chicken, Canadian bacon, black olives, onions, peppers, or mushrooms. Here are a few variations for you to try:
- Spicy Pepperoni Pizza: Use mozzarella cheese, sweet chilli sauce, chopped pepperoni, and some fine-cut chilli and garlic.
- Hawaiian pizza: Top with chunks of pineapple and Canadian bacon on top. (Depending on where you stand on the age-old pineapple debate).
- Tangy chorizo pizza: Use mozzarella cheese, chopped chorizo, caramelised onions, and chopped garlic.
- Vegetarian pizza: Baby spinach, chopped onions, olives, garlic, peppers, and fresh tomato with mozzarella and aged cheddar.
How to Make Deep Fried Pizza
While we do not recommend this dish as a daily meal, when prepared correctly, the pizza comes out light, crisp, and airy. While it may sound weighty or excessively oily, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Without a doubt, this is one of the finest and greatest methods for making pizza at home without a wood-burning oven. The recipe provided will be the more traditional unbuttered variant of deep-fried pizza.
Pro Tip: Use smoky mozzarella or fresh mozzarella of the highest calibre. By mixing 2 glasses of milk with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke, breaking the mozzarella ball into pieces between 4 and 8 cm, and letting them marinate for an hour, you can create smoked mozzarella.
Preparation Time
Please consider that preparation time can depend on multiple factors, like cutting, peeling, and serving amount. As for this crispy deep fried pizza recipe, we suggest using fresh toppings (add according to preference), which means that your preparation time should be no longer than 45 minutes to 1 hour not including the 8 – 12 hours allocated to waiting for the dough to rise before prep.
Serving Size
Four to six small to medium-sized servings may be made using the amounts and ingredients listed in this crispy deep fried pizza recipe. Measurements and quantities can be changed to accommodate more or fewer servings.
Nutritional Information
The typical values per serving of crispy deep-fried pizza are as follows:
– Calories = 705
– Fat = 41g
– Saturated Fat = 12g
– Carbohydrates = 61g
– Sugars = 3g
– Protein = 23g
– Sodium = 268mg
– Fibre = 4g
You Will Need
- 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons of bread flour, plus more for dusting the dough
- 2 1/3 teaspoons of kosher salt, plus extra for assembly (Regular salt will work too)
- 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast
- 4 -6 fresh tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of water (For a more exotic taste replace water with beer)
- 1 can of whole peeled Italian tomatoes packed in juice (Tomato Puree can also be used here)
- 8 cups of palm oil (This oil has a neutral flavour and a high smoke point, making it the best oil for deep-frying)
- 340g to 1450g ball of buffalo mozzarella or fresh cow’s milk mozzarella, at room temperature.
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Deep Fry Pizza with Batter
Just before you want to get to work, whisk everything together. The consistency must be both runny as well as thick enough to cover a spoon. To achieve the ideal balance, increase the seltzer or flour. While you wait for the oil to heat up, chill the mixture in the refrigerator. To make a good batter you will need:
- 1/2 a cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup of masa harina/maize flour
- 1/2 a tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 a tablespoon of baking soda
- 1/4 tablespoon of chilli powder (or paprika)
- 340g of plain seltzer
- 1 tablespoon of palm oil
Method
Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. The mixture should be thoroughly blended. When no more dry flour is visible in the dish, add your water or beer and stir the mixture with your hands until the dough comes together. The dough should be gently kneaded for about 30 seconds before being left to rest at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours before preparation.
Step 2 – Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface and shape it into four sections with floured hands. Each portion should be formed into a ball, and then it should be placed on the floured surface with a few inches between each ball. Cover them in plastic wrap or a damp, clean dishcloth.
Step 3 – Tomatoes can also be coarsely blended by hand, in a food processor, or in a blender. Add salt to taste when preparing them. Squeeze out the extra whey after roughly tearing the mozzarella into 2 – 4 cm pieces.
Step 4 – Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to a high temperature and place the pan about 6 inches below the heating element. Under the broiler, place a 25 cm cast iron or stainless-steel plate. Using an instant-read or deep-fry thermometer, add your oil to a broad wok or deep pot and put this over high heat to 180°C.
Step 5 – Stretch or shape one dough lump into a disk that is about 25 cm in diameter on a bowl that has been gently dusted with flour. Make a dozen or so tiny holes in the stretched dough with your fingers, leaving the exterior 4 cm undisturbed.
Step 6 – Carefully drop the dough into the heated oil, keeping it there with a big metal spatula or a wire mesh spider. About 45 seconds into frying, the bottom layer should be puffy and faintly crisped. With tongs, carefully turn the dough, and heat for an additional 45 seconds or so, or until the second side is crisp.
Step 7 – The heated pan should be carefully taken out from under the broiler and placed on the stovetop. Rotate the dough’s surface, and then place it in the hot pan.
Step 8 – Spread some of the canned tomato sauce and blended tomatoes over the crust, leaving the bubbly, raised borders unaffected. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and basil stems on top of the pizza. Salt should be gently sprinkled. (Add your preferred toppings now)
Step 9 – Place the pizza in the oil and cook for about 45 seconds, or until the sides are charred. This will happen much quicker than with a regular pizza so be sure to keep an eye on it. (If you would prefer the battered version, dip the pizza, and deep-fry it in this step).
Step 10 – Dish the pizza right away and enjoy. With the leftover pizzas, repeat steps 5 through 7 as needed.
See more deep-fried food recipes here.
Frymax is proud to offer a 100% RSPO certified sustainable palm oil product, helping to give restaurants, chippies, and home cooks a nutritious and ethical product that doesn’t harm the environment or communities. As a result, our palm oil is one of the most sustainable cooking oil products on the market, providing you with vegan oil, GMO-free, and an ethical source of golden, deep-fried fried perfection! For more information don’t hesitate to get in contact with the helpful Frymax team.
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