For me, besides pizza margherita, fried calzones with ham and mozzarella are the ultimate comfort food . They are super easy to make, and in this recipe, I’ll show you how to fill them Roman-style. The ones you buy from delis have a juicy and stringy filling of mozzarella, cooked ham, and mortadella, enclosed in a soft leavened dough.
The quantities in my homemade recipe for fried calzones with ham and mozzarella make 10 calzones shaped with a round pastry cutter of 6 1/3 inches in diameter. However, you can choose the size according to your preference, as it will not affect the deliciousness of these calzones.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 10 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 0.4 oz fresh yeast (1/2 block)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 5 1/3 oz mozzarella
- 4 1/4 oz cooked ham
- 4 1/4 oz mortadella with pistachios
- 2 tsp Parmigiano (grated, or Grana Padano)
- as needed peanut oil
Preparation
In a bowl, place the water, sugar, and crumbled fresh yeast, letting it dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the flour and quickly mix the dough in the bowl, then add the salt and oil and continue to knead.
Flour the work surface and finish kneading the dough until it becomes smooth and homogeneous. Place it in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled.Chop the mozzarella and let it drain. Using a mixer or by hand, coarsely chop the cooked ham and mortadella, and combine them with the mozzarella and grated Parmigiano. Add a pinch of pepper and salt.
After the rising period, take the dough and divide it into 8 equal parts, separate them, and form balls. Place the balls on a floured work surface and cover with a cotton cloth to prevent them from drying out while you make the calzones.
Take one ball of dough at a time and roll it out with a rolling pin until quite thin. Form a circular disc and use a pastry cutter to cut the calzone base. Set aside the leftover dough; you’ll need it to form 2 additional calzones.
Fill with the stuffing, 1 and a half tablespoons per calzone, placing it in the lower half-moon. Then, using a brush, wet the entire edge of the dough and fold it over into a half-moon shape. Press the edges well, remove any air bubbles, and use a fork to crimp around the edges to seal the calzone tightly.
Place the calzones on a baking tray, cover with a cotton cloth and let them rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the oil for frying. I recommend using peanut oil and a tall aluminum pot, as the calzones should float comfortably while frying.
Once the resting time is over, heat the oil and when it is ready, immerse one calzone at a time with a spider ladle. Fry them on both sides, and when they are golden brown, drain and place them on a paper towel. Repeat this process with all the calzones.
