Onion and olive calzone (calzone con cipolla e olive)

More like a pie than a folded pizza, this calzone hails from southern Puglia, where it's sold by the slice as a meal on-the-go.

Onion and olive calzone (calzone con cipolla e olive) Credit: Paola Bacchia

• serves

  8

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  1:45 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

When we talk about 'calzone', we think of a pizza filled with cheese and other toppings, folded in half and baked. In the southern region of Puglia, calzone is something completely different. Panificio Fiore in the old town of Bari is well known for its calzone, with lunchtime queues snaking through the narrow streets. This recipe uses sweet onions and sultanas (golden raisins), making a lovely contrast to the savoury olives and anchovies. It is delicious served with a green salad on the side.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 6 g (¼ oz) instant dried yeast
• 90 ml (3 fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) tepid water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 small egg, beaten with a splash of milk

Filling

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 400 g (14 oz) leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
• 5 spring onions, sliced
• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) brown or white onions, chopped
• 100 g (3½ oz) tinned chopped tomatoes, drained
• 50 g (1¼ oz) sultanas (golden raisins) 
• 100 g (3½ oz) green olives, pitted
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 10 anchovies

Resting time: 2 hours

Instructions

To make the pastry, place the flour in a large bowl, sprinkle in the yeast and lightly whisk. Pour in the oil and mix using a wooden spoon and eventually your fingertips, until incorporated. Pour in the water, a little at a time, mixing it in with your hands, until well combined. Lastly, sprinkle over the salt, then tip onto a well-floured work surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make the dough. Don’t worry if the mixture seems a bit on the dry side. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a draught-free place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. 

Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over low–medium heat. Add the leek, spring onion and onion and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly. The onion should be soft, translucent and just starting to caramelise. Add the tomatoes, sultanas, olives, salt and pepper and cook for a further 15 minutes. If there is any excess liquid at the end of cooking, drain the mixture in a colander, then set aside to cool completely. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the base and side of a 28 cm (11 in) tart tin with a removable base (I use foil). Lightly grease the tin with olive oil. 

Divide the dough into two – one half should be slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger piece of dough on a well-floured work surface to a 38 cm (15 in) circle. Transfer the dough to the tin, pushing gently into the base and side and allowing a bit of dough to hang over the edge. Place the cooled filling in the tart and arrange the anchovies on top in a radial pattern. Roll out the second piece of dough to a circle large enough to cover the filling. Place the dough over the filling and fold the excess pastry from the base onto the top of the calzone so that it is well sealed. Trim any excess pastry. 

Make a central hole in the pastry lid using a sharp knife so that air can escape during cooking. Brush the egg and milk wash over the top. 

Bake for about 1 hour or until the top is a deep golden colour and the pastry is cooked all the way through. The calzone will puff up quite a bit during cooking and fall again once it cools. 

This recipe is from Italian Street Food. (Smith Street Books). Photography by Paola Bacchia.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

When we talk about 'calzone', we think of a pizza filled with cheese and other toppings, folded in half and baked. In the southern region of Puglia, calzone is something completely different. Panificio Fiore in the old town of Bari is well known for its calzone, with lunchtime queues snaking through the narrow streets. This recipe uses sweet onions and sultanas (golden raisins), making a lovely contrast to the savoury olives and anchovies. It is delicious served with a green salad on the side.