Mini pizzas in the air fryer: the quick and indulgent recipe for aperitifs and parties
There’s a secret ingredient that makes every meal a success, from savory breakfast to aperitif: homemade mini pizzas!
My son prefers savory breakfast over sweet, and that’s why mini pizzas are often our solution.
And, with the air fryer, I save a lot of time. My trick is that you can prepare raw mini pizza bases in advance, freeze them, then take them out, top them and bake them as needed for breakfast, snack or aperitif!
The main issue with this fast cooking is twofold:
Softness: The dough must not end up dry after the quick cooking.
Undercooked Base: Often, the base doesn’t cook well and stays soft in the center while the edges brown too much.
I’ll reveal the secret for a perfect mini pizza in the air fryer: you must cook the base for half the time without toppings, then flip it, add the tomato and continue cooking.
This ensures the hot air hits the bottom directly, browning and cooking it perfectly, and the dough puffs up creating a very soft base.
With this appliance the mini pizzas are ready in no time. It’s the practical, quick and incredibly tasty solution.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 489.79 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 71.16 (g) of which sugars 3.27 (g)
- Proteins 20.32 (g)
- Fat 15.55 (g) of which saturated 6.28 (g)of which unsaturated 3.57 (g)
- Fibers 3.53 (g)
- Sodium 1,257.93 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients AIR FRYER MINI PIZZAS
- 3 cups + 2 tbsp type 0 wheat flour (all-purpose equivalent)
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup (225 ml) water
- 1 2/3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 2/3 tsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 mozzarella balls
- 2/3 cup tomato purée (passata)
- to taste oregano
- to taste extra-virgin olive oil
- A few leaf basil (for garnish)
- to taste salt
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Bowl
- Small bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Air fryer
Procedure AIR FRYER MINI PIZZAS
In a large bowl, combine the flour, active dry yeast and sugar. Add all the water and start mixing the ingredients with a fork. At this point, incorporate the oil and the salt, and continue kneading by hand until the oil is completely absorbed and you obtain a smooth dough ball.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature until doubled in volume. It will take at least 3 hours. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 6 equal portions.
Shape each portion into a ball, then cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping: in a small bowl mix the tomato purée with a drizzle of oil, salt and oregano. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and set aside.
After the 30 minutes rest, flatten each dough ball with well-oiled hands until you form discs. Set the air fryer to the “oven” function and preheat to 392°F (200°C) for 10 minutes. Place a dough disc in the basket, directly on the grill. Halfway through cooking (about 3-4 minutes), flip the mini pizza and spread it with the prepared tomato sauce. Reinsert the basket and continue cooking for the remaining time.
Remove the basket, add the mozzarella cubes and cook for another minute or until the mozzarella is well melted and stringy. Serve the mini pizzas immediately, adding a few fresh basil leaves for garnish and aroma.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
For an optimal result, it is fundamental to use a good quality mozzarella and to drain it well. If you use pizza mozzarella, there’s no need to drain it, it’s already ready to use. If you prefer, you can replace mozzarella with other melting cheeses such as smoked scamorza or provola. For a vegan variant, use a vegan mozzarella that melts well.
Storage
If you have leftover mini pizzas (very unlikely!), you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To reheat them and bring them back like freshly made, just 1 minute in the air fryer at 356°F (180°C) will suffice.
Recipe alternatives and variations
1 – White mini pizzas: Omit the tomato purée and top the mini pizzas with mozzarella, potatoes and rosemary, or with provola and diced speck.
2 – Gluten-free mini pizzas: Replace the dough with a gluten-free base, easily found in supermarkets.
3 – Mini pizzas with vegetables: Add olives, capers, grilled eggplant or zucchini slices for a richer and more colorful version.
Usage and pairings
Mini pizzas in the air fryer are perfect for an aperitif with friends, a snack for little ones, a savory buffet or a last-minute dinner saver. They pair wonderfully with a good glass of Prosecco, a light craft beer or a fresh vegetable juice.
Origins and history of the recipe
The idea of creating “mini” versions of classic dishes stems from the need for practicality and the desire to make food more suitable for social occasions like aperitifs and parties. Mini pizzas, with their reduced shape, become the perfect finger food. The advent of the air fryer has revolutionized this concept, offering a cooking method that combines the speed of the microwave with the crispy result of the oven, making this classic a must of modern cooking.
Why the air fryer is perfect for mini pizzas
This appliance is ideal for quick recipes:
Time saving: It heats up in an instant and cooks in a few minutes, reducing preparation times.
Crispy result: The hot forced air wraps the mini pizza, creating a perfect browning without using large amounts of oil.
Lower energy consumption: Being a smaller appliance than the oven, it consumes less energy.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
1. Can I use ready-made pizza dough?
Certainly! Ready-made pizza dough is ideal for this recipe; it saves time and yields an excellent result.
2. Won’t the mini pizzas become too dry?
If you follow the instructions and do not exceed the recommended cooking times, the mini pizzas will remain soft inside and crispy outside. Remember not to overload the basket to ensure optimal air circulation.
3. Can I cook them from frozen?
Yes, if you have ready and frozen mini pizzas, you can cook them directly in the air fryer. Increase the cooking time by 2-3 minutes and slightly lower the temperature to let them thaw and cook evenly.
