The Abruzzese fritters, also known as Pizzonte or Mazzafam, are balls of leavened dough made with water, flour, milk, oil, yeast, and salt. Once leavened, they are stretched by hand and fried in seed oil.
This is an ancient Abruzzese recipe (particularly from the province of Teramo and surrounding areas). They are called “pizzonte“, “pizzonta“, or “pizzonde” depending on local dialects. Alternatively, we call them Mazzafam because they were used to satisfy hunger with something delicious and nutritious!
The name is believed to derive from “greasy pizza“, meaning a ball of greasy dough that is then fried, historically in lard, suet, or olive oil, today also in seed oil.
When I was young, I often went to Antonella’s house to study or play, and her mother Dora, a kind and generous lady, always welcomed me with a smile and… with these steaming pizzonte, ready for a snack.
I still remember the aroma coming from her kitchen… rustic, simple, and authentic, just like her very soft fritters! 🥰😍
Like almost all poor recipes of the past, this one also arose from a specific need: not to waste anything left over in the kitchen. That’s exactly why Abruzzese fritters were born.
When the dough for pizza or bread was prepared, if a little “mass” was left over (as we call it here in Teramo), it was used to make pizzonta, a real Abruzzese fried pizza! And without too much fuss, the dough was worked by hand, stretched, and then thrown into boiling oil.
Today, pizzonda is one of the many symbols of Abruzzo, along with bocconotti, uccelletti, caggionetti pizza Dogge or Teramo Easter pizza, not to mention the arrosticini! 💖🥰❤️
You can find it at Abruzzese festivals and local fairs, served either in the savory version, with salt flakes on top, or enriched with cold cuts and cheeses. A perfect street food to enjoy on any occasion!
But we can also enjoy it in the sweet version, with a nice sprinkle of granulated sugar it becomes a real dessert! Just like the fritters with sugar from the amusement park!
There isn’t a very strict standard for the recipe. Every family and town adapts the recipe to their own taste, but above all, it is passed down from generation to generation.
For example, there is both the version with only water in the dough and the one that includes the addition of milk. Some let them rise for a long time, others only until doubled in size.
And the one I’m sharing today was gifted to me by the dear signora Dora ❤️
👉 I recommend reading the article to the end! You’ll find the complete recipe with step-by-step photos 📸 useful tips for perfect frying 🍳 answers to the most frequently asked questions 💬 how to halve the yeast for a longer rise in the fridge and the best tricks for keeping them crispy longer, even in the freezer ❄️
Here is Dora’s recipe for Abruzzese fritters ❤️
But first, don’t miss these truly special ancient Abruzzese recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 12 pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 cups cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cup water (at room temperature, neither hot nor cold)
- 7 oz oz milk (if you prefer you can use water instead of milk and therefore you will need a total of 1 1/3 cups of water)
- 1/2 cup cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cube fresh brewer's yeast (or 1/4 oz of the dehydrated one, NO instant yeast for savory pies)
- 1 tsp salt (about 1/4 oz)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- seed oil (for frying)
Tools
- Bowl
- Towel
- Pan
- Ladle
- Working board
- Scissors
- Plate
- Paper towel
Steps
In a large bowl, pour the flour, dry brewer’s yeast, and sugar. If you choose to use fresh brewer’s yeast, you must first dissolve it in warm milk.
Add to the bowl the milk, olive oil, and water (or if you prefer, only water for a total of 1 1/3 cups).
Stir first with a ladle inside the bowl and when the dry ingredients have absorbed the liquid ones, transfer everything to the working board.
Work the dough energetically for a couple of minutes, then spread it out and add, only at this point, the salt.
Fold the dough onto itself and start working it for 5-10 minutes, making folds to strengthen it.
Remember, if it seems a bit sticky at first, do not add more flour, it must remain soft and at the end of the process, it will no longer stick to your hands.
Once you have a elastic and soft dough ball, place it in the bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about two hours, until it has doubled in size.
If the ambient temperature is below 68°F, it might take more than two hours.
After the first rise, take the dough and on a lightly floured surface (or in the same bowl) form about 12 balls.
You can choose the size of each ball without problems. You can make half larger and half smaller.
To form the balls, lift a part of the dough with your hands and break it off between your thumb and index finger, “pinching” it to detach it, just like when forming mozzarella.
This way, you will get dough portions that are all similar without needing to cut them with a knife.
Cover the balls with a towel (or an overturned container) and let rise for another hour.
After the second rise, form the fritters and start cooking!
Heat plenty of seed oil (peanut or sunflower) in a high-sided pan or pot. Bring the oil to a medium-high temperature (about 340°F-355°F) for good frying.
Stretch each ball with your hands (if you feel more confident, you can place the fritter on the working board and stretch it with your fingers, avoid using a rolling pin).
Fry a few fritters at a time in the hot oil, until golden on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness and temperature).
With a pair of scissors, cut in the center all the fritters before cooking (or as I do, after dipping them in the oil, directly in the pan). It’s a little trick from our grandmothers to ensure more even cooking.
Make sure not to burn them, they should remain nicely golden. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve immediately hot!
You can salt them lightly for the savory version or sprinkle with sugar for the sweet version. Serve them with cold cuts, cheeses, or just enjoy them as they are.
If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments, I’d love to read how your Abruzzese fritters turned out 🫓💛
Tell me if you followed the classic recipe or personalized it (maybe with fridge rising or a sweet version!).
And if you liked it, follow me on my social channels so you don’t miss the upcoming homemade recipes 🏡💫Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
USEFUL TIPS:
For a softer surface full of bubbles, I recommend not making the fritters too thin, otherwise they will lose internal softness and become crunchier and more brittle. This is not a mistake, it’s just a matter of taste. Choose how you like them best and make them thinner or thicker accordingly.
Once cold, pizzonte tend to lose their characteristic crispness (as with all fried food). If you need to prepare them well in advance before serving, place them in a hot oven for a few minutes (or air fryer in the heating mode, at about 300°F).
As I always recommend whenever you fry, immerse few pieces at a time in the hot oil, this helps keep the temperature more constant and achieve even cooking.
The oil must be very hot before immersing the fritters, otherwise they will absorb too much oil.
Be careful if it’s too hot, you risk burning them on the outside without cooking them inside.
STORAGE:
Like most freshly cooked food, these fritters should be consumed immediately to appreciate their crispness and crunchiness. Especially fried food, once cold, tends to lose consistency but not all is lost. In this case, we can also reheat them for a few minutes and they will still be delicious!
To enjoy them the next day, follow this advice:
First, let them cool completely, then put them in a paper bag (or a food bag if you want them to stay softer).
The next day you can heat them in a preheated oven at 300-320°F for 5-10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 280°F, to regain crispness.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use only water and not milk in the dough?
Yes: some traditional versions of pizzonte use only water to make the dough lighter, or only milk to make it softer. It’s your choice!
Can I fill or serve them with cheese/cold cuts?
Yes, absolutely: in the traditional savory version of pizzonte they are accompanied by local cold cuts and cheeses, especially at Abruzzese festivals.
Is it better to use olive oil or seed oil for frying?
Traditionally, lard or olive oil was used, but they can make the final taste a bit strong. I personally prefer seed oil (e.g., peanut) because it’s more neutral and practical.
If you use olive oil, the flavor will be more intense.Can I use sourdough or mother dough?
Yes, since it’s a leavened dough. But the recipe we follow here uses fresh or dehydrated brewer’s yeast. If you want to use sourdough, you will need to adapt rising times and quantities.
Should I roll the dough thin or keep it thick?
Depends on the result you want: if you roll it thin you’ll get a crunchier fritter; if you leave it thicker you’ll get a softer and “fluffy” pizzonta.
Traditionally, they usually have a medium-high thickness because the fritter had to “fill” you up! The bigger and thicker they were, the more filling they were!!
