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Baked calzone napoletano cut open showing ricotta, mozzarella, and salami filling on dark slate surface

Calzone Napoletano al Forno (Baked Neapolitan Calzone)

A baked Neapolitan calzone filled with drained ricotta, fior di latte mozzarella, and salami, cooked at high heat until the crust blisters and the filling is set.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 720
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 500 g Tipo '00' flour or strong bread flour
  • 300 ml water lukewarm, around 25 C
  • 3 g fresh yeast or 1 g instant dry yeast
  • 10 g fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Filling
  • 400 g whole-milk ricotta drained overnight
  • 250 g fior di latte mozzarella torn into small pieces, patted dry
  • 120 g Neapolitan salami (salame napoletano) thinly sliced
  • 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt adjust to taste, the salami is already salty
Finishing
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for brushing the top before baking
  • 2 tbsp semolina or fine cornmeal for dusting the baking surface

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly foamy.
  2. Add the flour to a large bowl. Pour in the yeast water gradually, mixing with your hand or a dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Add the salt and olive oil, then knead for 8-10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface, or 6 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer, until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
  4. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls (each about 210 g). Place on a lightly floured tray, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours until noticeably puffy and soft.
Prepare the filling
  1. Combine drained ricotta, Parmigiano, black pepper, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix until smooth.
  2. Pat the mozzarella pieces dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture. Set aside separately.
  3. Lay the salami slices out on a board. You'll layer them on top of the ricotta mixture when assembling.
Shape and fill
  1. Heat the oven to 220 C / 430 F with a baking stone or heavy sheet pan on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, stretch one dough ball by hand into a rough circle about 25 cm / 10 inches in diameter, keeping the edges slightly thicker than the center.
  3. Spread one quarter of the ricotta mixture over one half of the circle, leaving a 2 cm border clear around the edge.
  4. Scatter one quarter of the mozzarella pieces and 30 g of salami over the ricotta.
  5. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Press the edges firmly with your fingertips, then crimp with a fork to seal completely.
  6. Transfer to a piece of parchment dusted with semolina. Let the shaped calzone rest for 15 minutes.
Bake
  1. Brush the top of each calzone generously with olive oil. Score one small vent, about 1 cm, in the center of the top with a sharp knife.
  2. Slide the calzone on its parchment onto the preheated baking stone or pan. Bake at 220 C / 430 F for 22-25 minutes until the top is golden and shows small brown blisters.
  3. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting. The filling continues to set as it cools slightly and will stay inside cleanly when sliced.

Notes

For a deeper flavor, let the dough balls cold-ferment in the fridge for up to 24 hours after shaping. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before stretching.