Florentine coccoli on a wooden board with stracchino cheese

Coccoli Fiorentini

10/17/2025

Who can resist the magic of fried food? And who doesn’t love bread—especially when it’s warm, fragrant, and soft on the inside? Now picture combining the two, adding a slice of prosciutto and a spoonful of creamy cheese like stracchino. The result? Coccoli fiorentini—little bites of Tuscan tradition, perfect as an appetizer or a festive aperitivo.

Also known as pasta fritta, panzerotti, donzelle, zonzelle, ficattole, or sometimes sommommoli (a dialect word that means a punch under the chin—referencing their rounded, puffed-up shape), coccoli are rooted in humble, genius home cooking. Made with just three simple ingredients—flour, water, and yeast—they prove you don’t need much to create something unforgettable.

Fried until golden and crisp on the outside, yet soft and airy inside, coccoli are similar to pettole from Puglia, but with a distinctly Tuscan soul. In Florence, you’ll spot them at local markets or street food stalls, served hot and often stuffed with creamy stracchino cheese and prosciutto crudo.

They’re the kind of food that crosses generations and lifestyles: from the grandmother who makes them by feel, to the teen grabbing them on the go, to the curious traveler discovering them for the first time. One thing’s for sure—they rarely stick around long enough to cool!

Coccoli

Fried bread bites, classic Florentine street food. Perfect for an aperitivo

DifficultyEasy

Preparation time1h 30m

Cooking time30m

Servings5

€

CostLow

Ingredients

For the dough:
250 g plain flour
8 g sachet of yeast (dried)
150 ml water (lukewarm)
Coarse salt
Peanut or sunflower oil for deep frying
To serve:
150 g Stracchino or Crescenza cheese (or another fresh cheese)
150-200 g prosciutto crudo

Method

In a large mixing bowl, sift the ﬂour and combine with the yeast.
Add the lukewarm water and stir into the flour with a wooden spoon.
Work the dough with your hands for a few minutes until it comes together. Add the salt and continue to work the dough. When reasonably solid, transfer the dough to a work surface (lightly floured) until it's smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a clean mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm and a clean dishcloth, and allow to rest in a warm place (such as the oven, with the light turned on) for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Roll the dough into a sausage shape, twist off small pieces of equal size, and roll into little balls (about the size of a walnut).
Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a small saucepan or deep-fryer to 170°C. To test the oil, you can insert a toothpick. If the oil bubbles around it, you know it's almost ready. Then, you can then test a small piece of dough: if it bubbles vigorously and it sizzles, you can begin cooking your coccoli.
Cook the coccoli in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning frequently, until they are a light golden colour.
Leave your coccoli to drain on kitchen towel and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy straight away with stracchino and prosciutto!