Easy and Spectacular Ball-Shaped Savory Pie
- Energy Kcal 765
- Carbohydrates g 60.4
- of which sugars g 10.4
- Protein g 25.7
- Fats g 46.7
- of which saturated fat g 25.53
- Fiber g 3.3
- Cholesterol mg 197
- Sodium mg 954
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 45 min
- Cook time: 60 min
- Serving: 10
- Cost: Average
- Note + the dough rising time
PRESENTATION
Torta salata a forma di pallone is, honestly, a snack that totally steals the show at any soccer-themed get-together. And here’s the fun part: this torta salata facile per feste looks just like a golden, round soccer ball, complete with those classic hexagon shapes on top. It’s made with soft pan brioche, staying moist and tender inside, stuffed with a super creamy cheese filling mixed with fresh basil and slices of prosciutto crudo. Folks across Italy love bringing this dish out whenever there’s a big match—especially during the World Cup—because it’s not just tasty; it really really makes a big statement right in the middle of the table.
You get a bit of everything in each bite: a soft brioche dough, a rich and cheesy center, and those savory hints from the prosciutto and basil. People, for sure, end up snapping pictures before digging in, because it seriously does look like a soccer ball you’d wanna kick, not eat!
Having a ricetta torta salata scenografica like this brings such a lively vibe to your game day spread. It’s the kind of food that gets people talking—especially when you show off that soccer ball look using little pieces of pepper or dough for the decorations. This antipasto originale per partite works great for big crowds. You can slice it up, pass it around, and it feels a bit more special than your average party snack.
Italian parties, especially in the north and central regions, are known for pulling out all the stops with food that’s both fun and really really tasty, and this torta salata a tema calcio definitely fits the bill. If you want something easy to share, fits right in with the soccer theme, and gives you that crispy, cheesy, and totally memorable first bite—well, this is the one. People will remember your party as much for the food as the final score, and you’ll get all the credit for serving something that’s part snack, part centerpiece, and totally Italian. It’s sure to become a game day tradition everyone looks forward to!
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for brioche bread (capacity 1.8 qt)
- Manitoba flour 2.8 cups (350 g)
- Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups (300 g)
- Butter 5.3 oz (150 g) - (at room temperature)
- Brewer's yeast 1 tsp (4 g)
- Sugar 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Grana Padano PDO cheese 0.7 oz (20 g) - (to grate)
- Water 1.1 cups (250 ml)
- Whole milk ½ cup (125 ml)
- Fine salt 1 ½ tsp (8 g)
- Nutmeg to taste - (to grate)
- Eggs 2 - (medium)
- Egg yolks 1
- For the cheese creams
- Cream cheese 2 cups (500 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Fresh liquid cream 3 tbsp (40 g)
- Grana Padano PDO cheese 1.4 oz (40 g) - to grate
- Prosciutto crudo 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Basil 10 leaves
- Fine salt 1 pinch
- Black pepper 1 pinch
- Nutmeg to taste - to grate
- For the filling
- Prosciutto crudo 3 oz (80 g)
- Lettuce 4 leaves
- Cluster tomatoes 1
- For the covering
- Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
- Type 00 flour ½ cup (50 g)
- Whole milk 2.1 cups (500 ml)
- Fontina cheese 3.5 oz (100 g) - to grate
- Fine salt to taste
- For decorating
- Red peppers 1
- Green peppers 1
How to prepare Easy and Spectacular Ball-Shaped Savory Pie
To prepare the savory ball-shaped pie, start with the brioche bread base: in the bowl of a stand mixer, pour the sifted flours, grated Grana cheese, sugar, and instant yeast 1; also add the milk at room temperature gradually 2 and start activating the paddle attachment. When the milk has been absorbed, add the water at room temperature 3.
Then also add the whole eggs and the yolk little by little 4, grate the nutmeg, and when the eggs have been absorbed, replace the paddle with the hook attachment. Add a pinch of pepper for flavor and the room temperature butter in pieces, waiting for each piece to fully incorporate before proceeding 5. Finally, add the salt to the dough 6 and continue working it for at least 15 minutes.
When the dough is smooth and cascades like a ribbon 7, stop the mixer and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap 8. Let it rise for at least 30 minutes in a warm place (under a woolen blanket or in a turned-off oven with the light on). In the meantime, dedicate yourself to the filling: finely chop the basil 9,
the prosciutto 10 (you can set aside 2 whole slices of prosciutto), slice the tomato 11, and wash the lettuce leaves. In a bowl, pour the fresh spreadable cheese and soften it by mixing with a whisk, season with a drizzle of oil, add the fresh cream to thin and the grated Grana cheese 12.
Sprinkle the cream with nutmeg 13 and mix everything. Then divide the mixture into two equal parts in two small bowls and add the chopped basil to one 14, and the prosciutto to the other 15. Mix and transfer the two creams into two separate piping bags to store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Take the dough that has doubled in volume 16 Handle it briefly to give it a round shape 17 then place it in a 1.8 qt capacity mold 18 (you can use a zuccotto mold if you don't have a ball-shaped one) and let it rise in a turned-off oven with the light on for at least 2 hours; after the necessary time, the dough should have reached the edges of the mold. Then bake the brioche bread in a preheated static oven at 340°F for about 60 minutes (300°F for 50 minutes if using a fan oven).
Once cooked, take it out of the oven 19 and let it cool slightly, then gently unmold it and let it cool completely on a wire rack. When it is cold, cut around the entire perimeter of the pie with a small knife, leaving about 0.6-0.8 inches from the edge 20. Scoop out the inside reaching the bottom to form a cavity (being careful not to pierce it). You can make 2 slices with the inner part 21, which will be the layers alternated with the creams (with the leftover brioche bread, you can make cubes to toast in the oven).
Then take the piping bags with the creams and start filling the ball-shaped pie with all the basil cream at the bottom 22, then add the whole slices of prosciutto 23, cover with a layer of brioche bread 24 and continue with all the prosciutto cream.
Place the lettuce and tomato slices 25. Then close with the base of the ball-shaped pie 26. Now place the pie in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap, and in the meantime, dedicate yourself to the covering: in a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then sprinkle in the sifted flour and mix with a whisk to obtain the roux. When it is golden, add the milk gradually 27, mix, and let it heat up.
When the mixture thickens and boils, adjust the salt and add the grated Fontina cheese 28. Turn off the heat and stir to melt it completely; you can adjust the salt if necessary. Let the béchamel cool slightly and then pour it over the ball-shaped pie placed on a wire rack 29. Place the pie back in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 1 hour. While it solidifies, prepare the garnish: remove the tops from the red and green peppers, eliminate the seeds and internal filaments, and cut into strips 30;
you will need to obtain 11 hexagons about 2 inches on each side (31-32). Blanch them for a few moments in boiling water, then drain them 33 and let them cool completely on absorbent paper.
Then place the ball-shaped pie on a serving dish, and start placing the hexagons alternately on the pie, starting from the central hexagon, to create the typical ball surface; also leave some empty spaces (34-35), to get a tricolor pattern. Serve the savory ball-shaped pie with curly parsley or salad around it to simulate the green soccer field 36!