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Loading...This Neapolitan-style stuffed pizza fold is a half-moon of soft, blistered dough wrapped around a molten filling of ricotta, fior di latte mozzarella, Neapolitan salami, and a touch of tomato. It's the original street-food snack of Naples, traditionally eaten piping hot straight from the wood-fired oven.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time45 mins
Servings4
Yield4 stuffed pizza folds
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 690 kcalCalories
- 32 gFat
- 13 gSaturated Fat
- 68 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 4 gSugar
- 33 gProtein
- 1180 mgSodium
- 380 mgPotassium
- 340 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 3 mgVitamin C
- 260 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g (about 4 cups) Italian '00' or bread flour
- 325 ml (1 1/3 cups) lukewarm water
- 2 tsp (7 g) fine sea salt
- 1 tsp (4 g) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
For the filling
- 300 g (about 1 1/4 cups) fresh ricotta, drained if watery
- 250 g fior di latte or fresh mozzarella, cubed and patted dry
- 150 g Neapolitan-style salami or soppressata, finely diced
- 100 ml (about 1/2 cup) San Marzano tomato passata
- 40 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves, torn
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Directions
- Activate the yeast by stirring it into the lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar; let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt, then pour in the yeast water and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, make the filling: gently combine the ricotta, mozzarella, salami, tomato passata, Parmigiano, basil, and a generous grind of black pepper in a bowl. Season lightly with salt only if needed, since the salami is already salty.
- Heat your oven to its maximum setting (ideally 250-260°C / 480-500°F) with a pizza stone or heavy baking steel on the lower rack for at least 45 minutes. If you don't have a stone, use an inverted heavy sheet pan.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and shape each into a smooth ball. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll each ball into a round about 25 cm (10 inches) across, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges.
- Spoon roughly 1/4 of the filling onto one half of each dough round, leaving a 2 cm (3/4-inch) border. Fold the empty half over to form a half-moon and firmly crimp or roll the edges together to seal completely so the cheese cannot escape.
- Carefully transfer the calzones to the preheated stone (using a floured peel or parchment) and bake for 10-14 minutes, until the tops are puffed and spotted with golden-brown blisters.
- Brush the hot calzones with extra-virgin olive oil as soon as they come out of the oven, let them rest for 2-3 minutes (the filling is lava-hot), then serve immediately.
Cook’s Notes
- Use '00' flour and the highest oven temperature you can reach; a screaming-hot stone or steel is what gives the crust those signature leopard-spotted blisters.
- Resist the urge to overfill: a tightly packed calzone will burst in the oven and lose its precious juices to the baking surface.
- Pat the mozzarella and drain the ricotta thoroughly; excess water is the #1 enemy of a crisp-bottomed Neapolitan calzone.
- For the most traditional flavor, swap the mozzarella for 100 g of smoked provola and add a few slices of Neapolitan 'tarallo' or cured pancetta to the filling.
- Leftover calzones reheat beautifully in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side, which re-crisps the bottom far better than a microwave.
