Do you need to make lots of savory bites but have little time? Don’t worry: with my simple instructions you can prepare up to 100 in just 5 minutes without making a mess, and the oven will do the rest. All that will be left for you is to enjoy them with friends while sipping a good glass of prosecco or an spritz! Puff pastry bites aren’t anything new, but for those evenings when many guests arrive at different times there’s no better way to “entertain” guests while waiting for everyone to be present. I’ll explain how in just 5 minutes, with no mess and only 3 ingredients you can put in the oven a huge batch of crunchy bites with a gooey, delicious filling. In the tips at the end of the recipe you’ll find 3 other filling variations.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 50 or 100 bites
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 rolls Puff pastry (round or rectangular)
- 5.3 oz Speck
- 5.3 oz Smoked provola (sliced)
Preparation
Take the first roll of ready-made puff pastry and lay it on a baking sheet directly on its baking paper.
Fill the puff pastry by covering it with a layer of speck, leaving about 1/4 inch from the edge.
Cover with the next layer of smoked provola slices.
Place the second roll of puff pastry over the filled pastry. Press well along the edges so they stick together and the filling won’t escape during baking.Place the baking sheet directly in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to make cutting easier.
Then, with a knife or a pizza wheel, create strips about 3/4 inch wide starting from one edge and reaching to the opposite edge (you do not need to cut all the way through; it is enough to cut only the top layer of pastry). After that, repeat the cuts crossing them. This way you will create many small little squares.Transfer to a preheated oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes, or until the bites are golden brown.
Once baked, remove them from the oven and complete the cuts you previously made with the knife (or pizza wheel), this time cutting all the way through to the tray. Let cool just a little. At this point you will simply pull the pieces apart by hand and they will separate perfectly. Serve warm.
Notes
For the puff pastry to rise perfectly, it’s important to respect the chilling times because the thermal shock will help the pastry to puff up.
In the recipe I used round puff pastry because I only needed about forty bites; if instead you need around a hundred use rectangular puff pastry and cut it into squares about 1 inch per side (obviously you will need to increase the amounts of speck and provola. Consider about 7 oz for each).
There are many variations for the filling; I recommend:
– Pizzata: a layer of tomato sauce (simple passata with a drizzle of oil, half a clove of garlic, and a pinch of salt), a sprinkle of oregano and some torn mozzarella.
– Cooked ham and provolone: a layer of diced cooked ham mixed with diced provolone.
– Zucchini and stracchino: slightly salted grilled zucchini slices topped with little dollops of stracchino.
– Fridge-cleaner: combine the cold cuts and cheeses you have left in the fridge!
