Homemade sofficini, easy and melty
Homemade sofficini with a simple dough and a melty filling, perfect for a quick lunch or easy dinner.
Looking for a dinner idea that pleases everyone without keeping you in the kitchen for too long? Homemade sofficini are exactly that: crispy on the outside, melty on the inside, and far simpler to make than they look.
The key lies in the cooked dough, which works in a way similar to a light choux pastry. Once you understand the method — heating the liquid, adding all the flour at once, and stirring decisively — the result is almost guaranteed. The dough becomes pliable, rolls out well, and holds together when folded.
This recipe has at least three practical advantages: the ingredients are almost always already at home, the cost per serving is very low, and the filling is easy to adapt to whatever is in the fridge. The classic ham and mozzarella version is the one that works every time, but feel free to swap the filling with leftover roasted vegetables or a different cheese.
The detail that makes the biggest difference is draining the mozzarella well before using it. Excess moisture can cause the sofficini to open during cooking and makes the coating less crispy. Thirty minutes on kitchen paper is all it takes.
Leftover sofficini keep in the fridge for one day and reheat well in a pan or air fryer. Ready to get started? Here comes the homemade sofficini recipe.
To make this recipe
A small selection of handy tools to keep within reach. Some links may be affiliate links.
Large non-stick pan
Useful for cooking and sautéing ingredients evenly without overcrowding the surface.
Digital kitchen scale
In leavened recipes and baked goods, it lets you accurately weigh flour, liquids, and yeast.
Steps
- Heat the milk and butter together in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts completely.
- Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a compact dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, let it cool for 5 minutes, then roll it out to about 3 mm thick and cut rounds of 10–12 cm in diameter.
- Arrange some cooked ham and a few cubes of well-drained mozzarella on one half of each round, leaving about 1 cm free at the edge.
- Fold each round into a half-moon shape and seal the edges firmly by pressing with your fingers or the tines of a fork, so they don't open during cooking.
- Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Dip each sofficino in the beaten egg, then coat in breadcrumbs, pressing lightly so the coating sticks.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook the sofficini for 3–4 minutes per side, until the coating is golden and crispy.
Helpful tips
Pat the mozzarella dry with paper towels at least 30 minutes before using it — less moisture means the sofficini stay intact and the coating stays crispy.
For a richer filling, add a spoonful of grated Parmesan alongside the mozzarella.
You can prepare the sofficini up to the breading step a few hours ahead and keep them in the fridge until ready to cook.
For a lighter result, cook them in an air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 248 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 24.0 g
- Sugars
- 2.0 g
- Protein
- 10.0 g
- Fat
- 12.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 4.0 g
- Fiber
- 1.0 g
- Sodium
- 290 mg
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