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This is a fried pizza recipe—6 personal homemade pizzas that are pressed into a circle by hand and then deep fried before being topped with tomato sauce and sliced fresh mozzarella cheese then briefly baked. It makes the crust both tender and deliciously crisp. Fresh basil gets torn and added right before serving.
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How to make fried pizza dough
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine warm water (best temp is 105F to 115F – use a meat or candy thermometer to make sure), sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam up, the yeast may be past its expiration date on the packet or the water was too warm. The dough won’t rise without the foaming step, just FYI.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 ½ cups of the flour and the salt. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil.
Step 3: Mix with an electric mixer until the dough is smooth.
Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a surface floured with some of the remaining ½ cup flour.
Step 5: Knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Step 6: Place the dough into an oiled mixing bowl, turning once to oil both sides.
Step 7: Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until it’s doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. (See photo below.)
Step 8: Stretch the risen, smooth dough into an oblong shape without flattening too much. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
Step 9: Flatten one piece of dough by hand into a circle (ish) 8-inches across.
Step 10: Heat vegetable oil to 350F degrees in a cast iron pan or heavy pot on the stove over medium to medium-high heat.
Step 11: Very carefully lower the dough into the hot oil. Use extreme caution when frying. The oil can spatter, so stand back and keep children at a safe distance.
Step 12: Fry the pizza dough on each side until it begins to brown, approximately 1 minute per side. Remove the pizza crust from the oil with metal tongs and set on a cooling rack. Repeat steps with the remaining dough.
Step 13: Top the fried pizza crusts with pizza sauce, slices of the fresh mozzarella cheese, and any additional toppings you choose.
Step 14: Bake the pizzas on a cookie sheet in a 400F degree oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on your desired level of doneness.
Step 15: Remove once the mozzarella cheese slices are melty. Tear or scissor the basil leaves into bite size pieces and add to each pizza before serving.
Tools & Equipment
- Heavy, deep pot, Dutch oven or high-sided cast iron pan
- 4-cup measuring cup or mixing bowl
- Meat or candy thermometer to test water temp for yeast
- Long metal tongs for handling dough in and out of the hot oil
- Whisk
- Measuring spoons
- Mixer and mixing bowl
- Flat, clean surface
- Warm area for proofing dough
- Wire rack or plate with paper towels for draining crusts out of the oil
- Cookie sheet or baking pan
Tips for the best fried pizza
- Water that is too hot will kill yeast. If you are new to blooming yeast, use a meat or candy thermometer to test the water temp before adding the yeast. It should be about 110F.
- If the yeast/water mixture doesn’t get foamy, either the yeast expired or the water may have been too hot. Start over with a fresh packet of instant yeast. This step is important to the texture of the crust.
- Use long, heat-safe tongs (like metal grilling tongs) to handle the dough in and out of the oil.
- Be careful of oil spatter, which can happen. Keep the oil temp at about 350F, or simmering lightly on medium heat. If the oil starts to smoke, turn down the heat.
- After deep frying until golden, season the crust with a garlic seasoning blend or grated parmesan cheese.
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Fried Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups warm water about 110°F
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 package instant yeast 0.25 oz
- 4 cups flour divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- vegetable oil or canola oil, for deep frying
- pizza sauce
- 2 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese balls
- 12 fresh basil leaves torn or scissored
- other pizza toppings, if desired
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Note: If the mixture doesn't become foamy, the yeast has probably expired; the dough won't rise without this step, so you may need to get a new packet of yeast.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix with an electric mixer until the dough is smooth.
- Turn the dough out onto a surface floured with some of the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough into an oiled mixing bowl, turning to oil both sides. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, 60-90 minutes. Note: I keep my house pretty chilly year-round, so in a pinch I will start my dryer on high, let it run for 5 minutes or so, then turn it off so it's not moving, and set my covered bowl upright in the well of the dryer. Make sure no one comes by to do laundry while you wait, though!
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Flatten one piece of dough by hand into a circle 8 inches across.
- Heat vegetable oil to 350°F in a heavy pot or cast iron pan with high sides on the stove over medium to medium-high heat. Very carefully lower the flattened pizza dough into the hot oil. Use extreme caution when frying—the oil tends to spit, so stand back and keep children away.
- Fry the pizza dough on each side until it begins to brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove the crust from the oil with metal tongs and set on a cooling rack, or a plate with a paper towel to drain.
- Repeat the flattening and frying of the remaining dough. If desired, add a garlic seasoning blend or grated parmesan to the freshly fried crusts.
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Top the fried crusts with pizza sauce, slices of fresh mozzarella, and any additional toppings you choose.
- Bake the pizzas on a cookie sheet in a 400°F oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on your desired level of doneness.
- Tear the basil leaves into bite-size pieces, then scatter over the pizzas before serving.
