Pizza Fritta

Pizza Fritta or Fried Pizza is actually the true Italian Calzone. When my Mother was in Naples, Italy getting married to my Father she quickly became addicted to this delicious street food. How can you resist I mean come on...... pizza folded up in a wrapper..... something delicious to nibble on while you walked the streets of Italy sounds like a match made in  heaven to me.
This is a fun party food even though I have to admit it does take some work it is well worth it for all the Italian Conviviality it creates : ) What I do is set up my topping station and make them with each guest's choice of toppings, people sit around waiting for their pizza sipping on wine munching on anitpasto they love it! But if you want to make them ahead wrap each in foil and keep warm in oven on lowest setting. If you want a lighter version of this see my Griddle Pizza Recipe.
Ingredients
pizza dough recipe for 2 pizzas broken up into into 16 balls  or use only half and freeze the other dough for a pizza another day.
marinara sauce  that has been heated up
oil for frying (I use olive oil)
Optional Toppings : mozzarella grated, provolone slices torn, red pepper flakes, basil leaves, anchovy fillets, roasted bell peppers and or sauteed onions sliced thin, goat cheese, capers, olives, sausage, pepperoni, etc......
Tools
Fry Daddy or Cast iron pot and oil for frying
Paper Towels for draining fried dough and folding dough in half when hot
Foil (A large square for each pizza)
Directions
After your pizza dough has risen once punch it down and cut it into 16 pieces.
Now roll them out into 16 round flat pieces about the size of a medium burrito and stack them in between parchment (not wax it sticks!!) covered with a little flour. At this point I like to set up a "station" of all of my toppings, the dough stacked in a pile, and my fry daddy or cast iron pot filled with oil for frying. Have plenty of paper towels handy and your foil squares set up as well.
Heat oil to 375.
Place one pizza dough in the pot and fry until golden and fluffy, turn and fry other side. Set on paper towels to drain just for a second!
Immediately add toppings, always starting with the warm sauce, to one half of the dough and fold to melt together. I use some paper towels to do this since it is hot, It must be still very hot to melt!
Wrap in foil and allow it to melt for a minute before serving or keep in oven at lowest heat.
Serve as is or with more marinara sauce.
This recipe makes 16 mini pizzas