Pizza Night: 60+ Recipes for Date Nights, Lazy Nights and Party Nights, written by Deborah Kaloper, features pizza in an assortment of styles and flavors for every occasion and day of the week. A few highlights include Quattro Formaggi, The Breakfast, Chicago-Style Sausage Pie, Mozzarella & Anchovy Panzerotti, and Apple Cinnamon Calzone. I will also be sharing her recipe for Pizzette Fritte following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Deborah Kaloper
Deborah Kaloper is a food stylist, prop stylist, and recipe developer. She is a former breakfast and pastry chef and now works with top photographers, chefs, food writers, brands, and has been a part of over 60 cookbook projects.
She grew up in California and is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Deborah is also the author of Good Mornings, Pasta Night, and Taco 101.
Pizza Night
Deborah begins Pizza Night with a short introduction before jumping into the recipes. She has also put together a guide on pizza essentials and key ingredients to help get started.
Chapters are divided based on type of pizza: Basics, Neapolitan, New Classics, Deep Pan, Fried and Stuffed, and Sweet.
The basics chapter covers a variety of different types of dough and sauces to create a flavorful foundation for all the pizza.
The photography is provided by Emily Weaving with food styling by Deborah. Every pizza is paired with a full-page photo of the finished dish.
Measurements are listed in Metric and US Customary (generally grams and ounces). Titles are written in English.
Pizzette Fritte
Everything we have tried in Pizza Night has been so good, but the Pizzette Fritte were a particular favorite.
This delicious treat has a fried round of dough as the base, then it is topped with a large spoonful of tomato sauce and some torn fresh mozzarella cheese.
The little pizzas are baked just long enough to heat the toppings and melt the mozzarella before serving immediately with basil leaves, salt flakes, and optionally a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
If you love these Pizzette Fritte, the next page in the book has a variation with goat’s curd, cherry tomato, and pesto.
I used a store-bought tomato sauce, but Deborah has included a recipe for a homemade Marinara Sauce in the basics chapter.
A Few Tips
Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring up and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.
If the dough is too crumbly and just won’t come together after mixing everything together thoroughly, add some more water a splash at a time. Give it some time to blend fully with the flour before adding more.
Allow the formed dough to rest at room temperature until doubled. The exact time may vary based on the environment in your kitchen. Warm areas may require 1-2 hours, while cooler kitchens may take as long as 2 1/2-3 hours.
After forming into individual balls, allow the dough to rest for another 40-50 minutes before rolling and frying.
Don’t crowd the pan when frying the dough. Give enough space to allow them to puff and bubble.
More Pizza
I also made the Margherita, Prosciutto & Rocket, Ricotta & Pesto Focaccia, and Italian Sausage & Roasted Red Pepper Calzone.
The Margherita Pizza is a classic from the Neapolitan chapter. After preparing the dough and stretching into a circle, it is topped with tomato sauce, fior di latte, and a drizzle of olive oil. The pizza is baked until golden, then finished with fresh basil leaves.
Prosciutto & Rocket (Arugula) pizza is a favorite of mine, so I was excited to see it included in the book. Also in the Neapolitan chapter, the dough is covered with tomato sauce, fresh basil, and fior di latte. After baking, it is topped with prosciutto, arugula, a little olive oil, and parmesan.
The Ricotta & Pesto Focaccia comes from the Deep Pan chapter. A homemade focaccia dough is baked to create an airy base with crispy edges, then it is topped with a tomato sauce and served with creamy buffalo ricotta and a basil pesto.
The Italian Sausage & Roasted Red Pepper Calzone is an incredibly comforting option from the Fried and Stuffed chapter. Using the same dough base as for the Pizzette Fritte, it is rolled into a large circle, filled with a savory ground Italian sausage and roasted red pepper mixture, tomato sauce, and shredded mozzarella. The dough is folded over and sealed, then baked until golden.
Pizza Night is a great pick for those who love pizza. There is quite the variety of flavors with both meat and vegetarian options. The dough does take time to prepare and rise, but Deborah has also included instructions for making ahead. Most of the actual assembling prep doesn’t take long at all.
Many of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require further searching include cavolo nero, fior di latte, smoked mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, round pancetta, ‘nduja, harissa paste, Merguez sausage, gochujang, and ajvar.
Pizzette Fritte Recipe
Excerpt from Pizza Night
Pizzette Fritte
Ingredients
Dough:
- 500 grams (1 pound 2 ounces) 00 pizza flour or bread flour
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
- 250 milliliters (1 cup) lukewarm water 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)
- 40 milliliters (1 1/4 fluid ounces) extra virgin olive oil plus extra for greasing
Pizzette Fritte:
- Plain (all-purpose) flour for dusting
- 1 litre (1 quart) vegetable oil for frying
- 360 grams (12 1/2 ounces) Marinara sauce
- 400 grams (14 ounces) fresh mozzarella sliced or torn
- Salt flakes to serve
- 16 basil leaves
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to serve, optional
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the large bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
- With the motor running, slowly add the water, followed by the olive oil, and process for 40-60 seconds, until a rough dough ball forms.
- Bring the dough together and shape into a smooth ball with your hands, then place in a large lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it in the oil.
- Cover the dough and allow to rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a ball, place on lightly oiled trays, cover and rest for 40-50 minutes, until doubled in size.
To make the Pizzette Fritte:
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) fan-forced, and place a rack on the middle shelf in the oven.
- On a lightly floured surface, flatten and roll each dough ball out to a 11.5 centimeter (4 1/2 inch) circle.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 175˚C-180˚C (345˚F-350˚F) on a kitchen thermometer.
- Carefully fry two to three circles of dough at a time, depending on the size of your pan, for 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side, until puffed, crisp and golden.
- Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Place the pizzette on baking trays and top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce and 25 grams (1 ounce) of the mozzarella.
- Carefully transfer the trays to the oven and bake for about 2 minutes, just until the mozzarella has melted.
- Sprinkle the pizzette with salt flakes and top each with a basil leaf.
- For an extra cheesy hit, finely grate a little Parmigiano Reggiano on top before serving and enjoy!
Mahy
Pizza night is my favorite night! Love how easy these look – definitely have to try now.
DK
They look so delicious and savory!
Jill
I’ve never heard of fried pizza! These must be a real treat. Can’t wait to try them.
TAYLER ROSS
Such a fun way to make pizza!
Sharon A sowsian
Boy am I happy to see this recipe. My aunt who was of Italian decent used to make these topped with tomato sauce made from fresh Jersey tomatoes from our farm.
Can’t wait to make these