Calzone

Calzone (Italian Stuffed Pizza Fold)

A Neapolitan classic where rounds of pizza dough are folded over a filling of ricotta, mozzarella and salami, sealed and baked until puffed and golden. It is essentially pizza turned into a portable, pocket-shaped meal.

Prep

25 min

Cook

15 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) 00 flour or strong bread flour, Italian '00' gives the most authentic crust; strong bread flour is the standard home substitute
• •7 g (2¼ tsp) instant dried yeast, or fresh yeast, see step
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •5 g (1 tsp) caster sugar
• •320 ml (1⅓ cups) lukewarm water
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• •300 g (10½ oz) fresh ricotta, drained for 20 minutes in a sieve to firm up the filling
• •200 g (7 oz) mozzarella fior di latte or low-moisture mozzarella, drained and torn or grated; patted dry on kitchen paper
• •120 g (4¼ oz) Italian salami (e.g. Napoli or Milano), sliced and chopped, lightly cooked salami gives a better texture and flavour; alternatively use 'salame ventricina' or soppressata
• •200 g (7 oz) passata or tinned San Marzano tomatoes, roughly crushed, well drained to stop a soggy calzone
• •40 g (⅓ cup) Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• •1 small handful fresh basil leaves, torn
• •1 to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
• •1 small egg yolk, for the egg wash; omit for a softer finish

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: in a large bowl (or stand mixer with dough hook) mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and olive oil and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft and only slightly tacky. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for about 1½ to 2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
2. 2 Prepare the filling: combine the drained ricotta, drained mozzarella, chopped salami, crushed tomatoes, grated Pecorino, basil, a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. The mixture should be cohesive but not wet; if it looks loose, drain again. Cover and chill until needed.
3. 3 Heat the oven to its highest setting, 250 to 260 °C (480 to 500 °F), with a pizza stone or heavy baking tray on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes.
4. 4 Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (about 220 g each). On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a round about 22 to 25 cm (9 to 10 in) across, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edge.
5. 5 Spoon one quarter of the filling onto the lower half of each round, leaving a 2 cm (¾ in) border all around. Be conservative: overfilling causes blow-outs.
6. 6 Fold the dough over to form a half-moon. Press the edges firmly together with your fingertips, then crimp by rolling the seam up onto itself, or press with the tines of a fork to seal.
7. 7 Transfer the calzoni to semolina-dusted peel or parchment. Brush with the egg yolk (or a little olive oil) and, if you like, sprinkle with a pinch of grated Pecorino.
8. 8 Slide onto the hot stone or tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is puffed, deeply golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. The filling should reach at least 75 °C (167 °F) at the centre and the cheese must be fully melted.
9. 9 Rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving; the filling will be extremely hot. Serve simply, with a small bowl of olive oil or a light tomato dip on the side.