Ham and Cheese Mezzelune
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 25 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Low
- Note + 30 minutes resting time for the dough
PRESENTATION
Ham and Cheese Mezzelune are crescent-shaped baked pastries filled with prosciutto cotto and provola — the kind of melting, stretchy cheese that makes pulling one apart the whole point. The dough comes together with just water, flour, and extra-virgin olive oil, so there are no shortcuts hiding in the ingredient list. Each half-moon gets rolled in breadcrumbs before it goes into the oven, where the coating bakes to a genuinely crunchy, golden crust that holds the warm filling inside.
No frying, nothing from a package. The provola won't hold once these cool down, so serve them straight from the oven while the center is still molten and stretchy. As a starter or finger food to pass with drinks, they deliver everything a fried appetizer promises — crackling crust, melting filling — without the oil. They work just as well at an informal dinner or a casual evening with friends, and they tend to disappear fast either way.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for 10 pieces
- Water 7 oz (200 ml)
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Type 00 flour 1.3 cups (160 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- for filling
- Prosciutto cotto 3 oz (80 g)
- Provola cheese 3 oz (80 g)
- for breading
- Breadcrumbs 0.7 cup (80 g)
- Eggs 3
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
How to prepare Ham and Cheese Mezzelune
To make the ham and cheese-filled mezzelune, pour the water into a saucepan 1, add the salt 2 and the extra virgin olive oil 3, then bring everything to a boil.
Turn off the heat and add the flour all at once 4, then stir vigorously 5 until the flour has completely absorbed the water and you have obtained a compact, homogeneous mixture 6.
Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead it for a few seconds, forming a small loaf 7. Let it cool slightly wrapped in plastic wrap for about 3 minutes. After the time has passed, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin 8, until you obtain a thin, even sheet about 3–4 mm thick (about 1/8–3/16 in). Using a round cutter, cut out discs about 4 in (10 cm) in diameter 9.
Cut the provola into sticks and place it in the center of the discs 10, then add the cooked ham 11. Fold each disc in half to form a half-moon 12 and press firmly along the edges to seal them well.
As they are ready, place the mezzelune on a tray lined with parchment paper 13. Dip each mezzeluna first in the beaten eggs, coating it evenly 14, and immediately after in the breadcrumbs 15, pressing so the crumbs adhere well over the entire surface.
Place the breaded mezzelune on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush them with a little oil 16. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 392 °F for about 20 minutes, until the mezzelune are golden and crispy 17. Remove from the oven and serve your ham and cheese-filled mezzelune piping hot 18.