Coccoli Recipe: Florentine Fried Dough with Prosciutto and Stracchino | Mama Florence Cooking School

What Are Coccoli?

Coccoli are traditional Florentine fried dough balls, particularly associated with Florence and Tuscany.

The name refers to small pieces of soft dough that are fried until golden and usually served warm. In Florence, the classic combination is Coccoli, Prosciutto Crudo, and Stracchino, where the richness of the cheese and saltiness of the cured ham balance the light, freshly fried dough.

Unlike a finished pizza or focaccia, Coccoli are deliberately simple. The dough itself is the vehicle for the pairing - warm, tender, lightly salted, and best eaten soon after frying.

A Classic Italian Dish

Coccoli are one of Florence’s most irresistible little pleasures: soft pieces of dough fried until lightly golden, salted while still warm, and traditionally served with slices of Prosciutto Crudo and creamy Stracchino cheese.

At Mama Florence Cooking School, this Florentine fried dough is made from flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, baking powder, salt, and a touch of sugar. The batter is intentionally soft and sticky before resting, then spooned directly into hot oil where it puffs into small, golden pieces.

The classic pairing is part of what makes the dish so memorable. Warm Coccoli, salty prosciutto, and cool, creamy Stracchino give you crispness, softness, richness, and salt all in the same bite.

How to Make Coccoli Dough

Coccoli Ingredients

• 300 gr all-purpose flour • 250 gr water • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 12 gr baking powder • 1 pinch sugar • 3 gr salt • 1 L vegetable oil for frying (soybean, sunflower, or peanut oil)

Mama’s Secret: Don’t be alarmed by the texture. Coccoli dough is supposed to feel much softer, stickier, and more fluid than a traditional pizza dough. Resist the urge to keep adding flour.

1. Prepare the Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
• Add the water and extra virgin olive oil, then whisk until everything is thoroughly combined and any lumps have disappeared.
• The mixture will look sticky and quite loose. That is normal.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for 1 hour.

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• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: olive oil is one of those ingredients that is never far from reach in a Tuscan kitchen. For a sauce built around tomato and Aglione, a good olive oil gives those few ingredients room to show themselves.

How to Fry Coccoli

1. Pour the frying oil into a deep pot and heat it to 175–180°C.
2. Line a plate or baking tray with paper towels and keep it close to the frying area.
3. Lightly coat a tablespoon or soup spoon with oil, then scoop spoonfuls of Coccoli dough carefully into the hot oil.
4. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry the Coccoli in batches if necessary so the oil temperature stays steady and each piece has room to cook evenly.
5. Fry until lightly golden brown and cooked through, then remove the Coccoli from the oil and transfer them to the paper towel-lined tray to drain.

How to Serve Coccoli

1. Let the Coccoli sit for a few minutes after frying, then season them with salt to taste.
2. Serve them warm with aged Prosciutto Crudo and fresh Stracchino cheese.
3. That combination is the Florentine classic: tear open a warm Coccolo, add a little Stracchino, fold in a piece of prosciutto, and eat it while everything is still soft, salty, and warm.

Why Are Coccoli Served with Prosciutto and Stracchino?

Coccoli are mild and warm, which makes them particularly good with ingredients that bring contrast. Prosciutto Crudo contributes salt and savory depth, while Stracchino is fresh, creamy, and slightly tangy. Together, they balance the fried dough without overwhelming it. The result is one of those combinations where none of the individual ingredients needs to be complicated because the pleasure comes from eating them together. This is another useful search section because the pairing itself is strongly associated with the dish, and people may search by the whole combination rather than “Coccoli” alone.

The Perfect Bite

The outside should be lightly golden, while the center stays soft, warm, and almost pillowy. Then comes the Stracchino - cool, creamy, and gently tangy - followed by the saltiness of Prosciutto Crudo. The fried dough gives the bite warmth and texture, but the cheese and prosciutto are what make it unmistakably Florentine. It is the kind of food that rarely makes it very far from the frying pot.

Coccoli vs Pizza Dough: What’s the Difference?

Although both are flour-and-water doughs, this Mama Florence Coccoli recipe is much softer and more fluid than a traditional pizza dough. It also uses baking powder rather than yeast, creating a different preparation and texture from our Italian Pizza Dough Recipe.

More Tuscan Recipes to Make

If you love the simplicity of Coccoli, continue with our Cecina, another classic Tuscan preparation built from a short ingredient list, or explore more traditional Tuscan dishes through Mama Florence Cooking School.

Learn How to Make Coccoli with Mama Florence

Want to make Coccoli - and plenty of other Italian favorites - with a chef beside you? Join our Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class in Florence, where dough, technique, and the simple pleasure of cooking together are all part of the experience at Mama Florence Cooking School.

Coccoli FAQ

Q: What are Coccoli? A: Coccoli are traditional Florentine fried dough balls, typically served warm with Prosciutto Crudo and Stracchino cheese.

Q: What are Coccoli made from? A: This Mama Florence recipe uses all-purpose flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, baking powder, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil for frying.

Q: What do you serve with Coccoli? A: The classic Florentine pairing is Coccoli with aged Prosciutto Crudo and fresh Stracchino cheese.

Q: What temperature should I fry Coccoli at? A: Heat the frying oil to approximately 175–180°C.

Q: How long should Coccoli dough rest? A: This recipe rests the dough for 1 hour in a warm place before frying.

Q: Are Coccoli the same as pizza dough? A: No. This Coccoli dough is much softer and more fluid than traditional pizza dough and uses baking powder rather than yeast.

Q: Where are Coccoli from? A: Coccoli are closely associated with Florence and Tuscan food culture, particularly when served with Prosciutto Crudo and Stracchino.

Disclaimer

Please note that our chefs may adapt recipes according to seasonal ingredient availability and participants’ dietary or allergy requirements. As a result, the ingredients, preparation, or presentation shown in this recipe may vary from what you prepared during your Mama Florence class. In some cases, elements of a dish may also appear as separate recipes. Please reach out to our team if any confusion arises. Thank you - the Mama Florence Family

Reviews

4.7 9 reviews

1. Better on the second day, which the recipe says and which I did not believe until I tried.

   Stefan B.

   Munich, Germany · February 2026

2. Made it, ate it, felt proud of myself. That is the review.

   Eline K.

   Rotterdam, Netherlands · October 2025

3. This is peasant cooking in the best sense. Almost nothing goes in, hours of flavour come out.

   Ben T.

   Sydney, Australia · September 2025

4. Not everything worked at the first go, but the explanation made it obvious what I had done wrong.

   Sanne V.

   Utrecht, Netherlands · August 2025

Show all 9 reviews