Calzone

Introduction

A calzone is a pizza folded in half before baking: a round of pizza dough filled with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil, sealed into a half-moon and baked until puffed and brown, with a spoonful of tomato on top. It is a good pizza for a home oven, since the filling cooks inside the dough and the oven doesn’t need to be as hot.

It comes from Naples. Calzone means a large stocking or trouser leg, and an early description of something like it appears in Francesco de Bourcard’s book on the customs of Naples, published in 1866. The classic Neapolitan filling has salami with the ricotta and cheese; this version leaves it out and is vegetarian. In Apulia, the fried version is called panzerotto. Drain the ricotta and the mozzarella well: a wet filling makes the dough soggy and can burst the seam. Parmesan is made with animal rennet.

Ingredients

For the dough (4 calzoni):

• 500 g flour (Italian “00” or strong white bread flour)
• 325 ml lukewarm water
• 5 g dried yeast
• 10 g salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the filling:

• 250 g ricotta, drained in a sieve for 30 minutes
• 2 balls of mozzarella (2 × 125 g), diced and drained
• 40 g grated Parmesan
• a handful of basil leaves, torn
• black pepper

For the top:

• 6 tablespoons tomato passata, seasoned with a pinch of salt
• olive oil

Tools

• A large mixing bowl
• A baking tray, lined with baking paper
• An oven that reaches 240 °C

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, yeast and water, add the salt and oil and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and leave to rise for about 2 hours, until doubled. Divide into 4 balls and rest them for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and plenty of pepper.
3. Heat the oven to 240 °C (220 °C fan) with the tray inside.
4. Stretch each ball into a round about 22 cm wide. Put a quarter of the filling on one half, leaving a 2 cm border, fold the other half over and press the edges firmly, then roll and pinch them to seal.
5. Lay the calzoni on baking paper, spread a spoonful of passata on each, drizzle with oil and cut a small slit in the top for the steam.
6. Slide them on their paper onto the hot tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until puffed and browned. Rest 5 minutes before eating: the filling is very hot.