Homemade Sofficini with Double Filling

Method

1. Heat the milk in a pot, add butter and salt. Let the butter melt and bring to a boil.
2. When it boils, add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue stirring over the heat for 4–5 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, let it cool slightly, then knead until smooth. Form a ball.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for a few hours.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the fillings: dice the fondina cheese, prepare béchamel sauce, dice the ham. For the tomato version, have the tomato passata ready.
6. After resting, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a thin sheet.
7. Use a round cutter (or a bowl) to cut disks. Re-roll the scraps and cut more disks.
8. For ham and cheese sofficini: place a spoonful of béchamel in the center of a disk, add a few pieces of ham and cheese. Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold in half, press gently to seal, then crimp the edges with a fork.
9. For tomato sofficini: place a little tomato passata and a few pieces of mozzarella in the center. Brush edges with egg, fold, and seal with a fork.
10. Prepare the breading: beat an egg with a pinch of salt. Dip each sofficino first in the egg, then in breadcrumbs.
11. (Optional: you can freeze the breaded sofficini. Before frying, let them sit at room temperature for an hour.)
12. Fry in oil not too hot (165–170°C) until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.