We all know that pizza was born in Naples. But there’s another kind of pizza from the same city that many people outside Italy have never heard of. It isn’t baked in a wood-fired oven, but fried until golden and crisp. Locals call it pizza fritta, a street food classic that’s as much a part of Naples as the more famous Margherita.
If you’ve wandered the narrow streets of Naples, you might have seen or tasted these puffed pockets being served hot from tiny shops. If not, here’s your chance: we’ll share the recipe so you can try it at home, and the story behind how this humble dish came to be.
Pizza Fritta Recipe: Make Naples’ Street Food at Home
Serves 4–6 people
Ingredients
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500g all-purpose flour
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7g dried yeast (or 15g fresh yeast)
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325ml warm water
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1 tsp salt
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2 tbsp olive oil
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Oil for frying (sunflower or vegetable works best)
Filling (traditional suggestion)
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200g ricotta
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150g mozzarella, chopped
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100g salami, diced (or cooked ham as an alternative)
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A pinch of black pepper
Instructions
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Make the dough
Mix the yeast with warm water and let it sit for a few minutes. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover, and leave to rise for 1–2 hours, until doubled. -
Prepare the filling
Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, and salami in a bowl. Add a little pepper to taste. -
Shape the pizzas
Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each into a circle, about 15cm across. Place a spoonful of filling on one half of the circle, then fold the other half over like a turnover. Press the edges tightly — you don’t want the filling leaking into the oil. -
Fry
Heat oil in a wide pan, enough for shallow frying. When a small piece of dough dropped in sizzles straight away, it’s ready. Fry each pizza pocket for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and puffed. -
Serve
Drain briefly on paper towels. Eat hot — the crust should be crisp while the inside stays molten and creamy.
Tip: Don’t overfill. A little ricotta and mozzarella go a long way, and too much will make sealing harder.
The Story Behind Pizza Fritta
Pizza fritta was born in Naples in the difficult years after World War II. The city was poor, ovens had been destroyed, and ingredients were scarce. Frying dough was quicker, cheaper, and used less fuel than baking. Families began filling small pockets of dough with whatever they had — ricotta, scraps of pork, bits of cheese — and frying them until crisp.
Women known as pizzaiola often sold them straight from their homes, setting up pans of hot oil and passing the fried pizzas through windows to hungry customers. It was simple food, but it kept people going through hard times.
Over time, pizza fritta became a Neapolitan tradition in its own right. You can still find it today in the Quartieri Spagnoli and other neighborhoods, eaten just as it was decades ago: hot, rustic, and straight from the pan.
What to Look for in Naples’ Markets
If you’d like to recreate pizza fritta with authentic flavors, here’s what to search for in Naples or Italian specialty shops:
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Fresh ricotta: creamy, light, and slightly sweet.
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Fior di latte mozzarella: less watery than buffalo mozzarella, ideal for frying.
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Cured salami: smoky, slightly spicy varieties add the best flavor.
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Italian 00 flour: finely ground, gives the dough a silky finish.
Markets around Naples are packed with cheese stalls, salumi counters, and bakers selling dough by weight. Even if you can’t take everything home, finding the right flour or salami abroad can bring you close to the original taste.
Staying Connected While You Explore Naples
Finding pizza fritta in Naples isn’t always easy. The best places are tucked away in side streets, known more to locals than tourists. That’s where staying connected makes the difference.
With the Italy JetSet eSIM, you can:
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Track down the best street food stalls without getting lost.
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Translate menus or chat with vendors in real time.
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Share photos of your fried pizza adventure instantly with friends.
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Move from one historic district to another without worrying about roaming charges.
No SIM cards, no hassle, just smooth connectivity while you wander through Naples with a warm pizza fritta in hand.
