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Pizza fritta napoletana is a folded, stuffed pizza dough fried in hot oil instead of baked, so the crust blisters into a puffed, bubbly shell around a molten ricotta and provola filling. Street vendors in Naples have sold it this way since the postwar years, when ovens were scarce and a pan of oil got dinner on the table faster.
The dough is the same base you’d use for a regular pizza, just left to rise longer so it puffs properly when it hits the oil. I fold it like a calzone, seal the edges hard, then fry at 180C / 356F until the outside turns deep gold and the filling inside has melted.
The one thing that trips people up: oil that’s too hot browns the crust before the center cooks, leaving a raw, gummy middle. Keep a thermometer in the pot and you won’t run into that.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Puffed, blistered crust with a molten cheese center
- Uses a basic pizza dough, no special equipment beyond a pot
- Filling can be swapped for what’s in your fridge
- Ready faster than baking a full pizza in most home ovens
Ingredient Notes
- 00 flour: Gives the dough the stretch needed to puff in hot oil. Bread flour works as a substitute, though the crust will be a touch chewier.
- Ricotta: Use whole-milk ricotta and drain it in a sieve for 20 minutes first, or the filling turns watery inside the dough.
- Provola: A smoked or fresh cow’s milk cheese from Campania. Fior di latte or low-moisture mozzarella work if you can’t find it.
- Cicoli: Small pork cracklings sold at Neapolitan delis. Diced salami or pancetta is a fair swap if cicoli isn’t available.
- Frying oil: Peanut or sunflower oil holds up well at 180C / 356F without smoking. Avoid olive oil for the frying step, it burns too fast at that heat.
Golden Pizza Fritta Napoletana with Ricotta Filling
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the warm water with the yeast in a large bowl and let it sit 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix, then knead on a floured board for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and rest at room temperature for 2 hours until doubled.
- Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 200 g each, and rest covered for 15 minutes.
- On a floured surface, stretch or roll each ball into a 20 cm disc.
- Spoon a quarter of the ricotta, provola, and cicoli onto one half of each disc, leaving a 2 cm border, and season with black pepper.
- Fold the dough over the filling into a half-moon, press the edges firmly to seal, and crimp with a fork.
- Pour oil into a deep pot to at least 5 cm depth and heat to 180C / 356F.
- Fry the pizze one or two at a time, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and puffed.
- Drain on a wire rack, rest 2 minutes, and cut in half to serve hot.
Notes
- Drain ricotta well before mixing the filling to avoid a watery pocket inside the dough.
- Keep oil at 180C / 356F with a thermometer, checked before each batch goes in.
- Seal edges firmly and crimp with a fork so filling doesn't leak into the pot.
- Fry one or two pizze at a time to keep the oil temperature stable.
Tips for Success
- Drain the ricotta in a sieve for 20 minutes before mixing the filling to keep the dough from turning soggy.
- Seal the folded edges firmly with your fingers, then crimp with a fork so the filling can’t leak into the oil.
- Fry only one or two pizze at a time so the oil temperature doesn’t drop below 170C / 338F.
- Check oil temperature with a thermometer before each batch, since a cooling pot cooks the crust slower and greasier.
- Rest fried pizze on a wire rack, not paper towels alone, so steam escapes and the bottom stays crisp.
Variations
- Skip the filling entirely for a plain fried dough disc, then top with tomato sauce and a basil leaf after frying.
- Swap cicoli for diced salame napoletano or leftover cooked sausage for a spicier filling.
- Add a spoon of tomato sauce inside next to the ricotta for a version closer to a fried calzone.
Storage and Reheating
Pizza fritta napoletana is best eaten within 20 minutes of frying, while the crust is still crackling. Once cooled, it turns soft and a little oily on the outside.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 200C / 390F oven or air fryer for 6 to 8 minutes to bring back some crispness, since a microwave leaves the crust rubbery.
To freeze, fold and seal the pizze raw, then freeze flat on a tray before bagging. Fry straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pizza fritta napoletana hot, cut in half so the melted provola stretches out. A simple arugula salad with lemon and olive oil cuts through the richness of the fried dough.
A chilled glass of Falanghina or a light lager works well alongside. For a full Neapolitan street-food spread, pair it with a cup of espresso to finish.
Cut into smaller wedges and it works as a shared appetizer instead of a single main course.
FAQ
Why is my pizza fritta napoletana soggy instead of crisp?
The oil was likely too cool, or you fried too many pizze at once and dropped the temperature. Keep the oil at 180C / 356F and fry only one or two at a time so the crust seals fast instead of soaking up oil while it cooks through.
Can I use strutto (lard) instead of olive oil in the dough?
Yes, traditional versions use lard for a shatter-crisp crust once fried. Swap it in 1:1 for the olive oil in the dough, but watch the pot closely since lard-enriched dough tends to brown a little faster.
Can I freeze pizza fritta napoletana before frying?
Yes, freeze the filled and folded discs raw on a tray, then transfer them to a bag once solid. Fry straight from frozen in 180C / 356F oil, adding 1 to 2 minutes per side, and don’t thaw first or the filling can leak out.
What goes well with pizza fritta napoletana?
A simple arugula or green salad with lemon balances the fried dough and melted cheese. A glass of chilled Falanghina or a light lager works well, and a small espresso afterward is a common Neapolitan finish.
Is pizza fritta napoletana gluten free?
No, the traditional dough is made with 00 wheat flour, so it’s not gluten free as written. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can work as a substitute, though the dough won’t puff as dramatically when it hits the hot oil.
What’s the difference between pizza fritta and montanara?
Pizza fritta is folded and stuffed with ricotta and provola before frying, closer to a fried calzone. Montanara is a plain disc fried first, then topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella and finished briefly in the oven.