The Apulian calzone with onions and olives is a traditional recipe from Apulian cuisine (of course!) and, like any traditional recipe, it has multiple variations. Some, in fact, use bread dough for the outer shell, while others use a yeast-free dough that can be prepared with or without the addition of wine.
What is undisputed, however, is the filling made of onions (sponsali), pitted olives (preferably baresane), cherry tomatoes, pecorino cheese, and anchovies.
Also indisputable is the shape, which must strictly be round, not half-moon as the name “calzone” might suggest, with edges folded over themselves and braided almost to form a little crown.
My personal version uses crazy dough for the outer shell. As for the onions, I used those from Vatolla, characterized by great sweetness, high digestibility, and, importantly, not pungent at all when cutting. I also omitted the addition of anchovies to suit the tastes of the whole family.
The result was extraordinarily good and won over even the youngest at home.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz crazy dough
- 3.3 lbs onions
- 5.3 oz baresane olives
- 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp pecorino cheese (grated)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
Tools
- 1 Kitchen Scale
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Colander
- 1 Pan
- 1 Mold 10 inches in diameter
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Brush silicone
- 1 Cooling Rack
Steps
To prepare the Apulian calzone, start with the filling, and while it cools, prepare the crazy dough with the recipe you can find HERE.
After peeling the onions, slice them rather thinly with a mandoline or knife, gather them in a bowl with water to wash them, and then drain them in a colander.
Transfer the onions to a large pan, add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cover and let cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
When the onions have softened, add the halved cherry tomatoes and pitted olives to the pan.
Continue cooking until the cherry tomatoes are soft and the liquids in the pan have evaporated. At this point, also add the pecorino cheese, mix well, then transfer the onions to a container to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the crazy dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Once ready, divide the crazy dough into two balls, one slightly smaller than the other.
Roll them out with a rolling pin and line the previously greased mold with the larger dough disk.
Transfer the cooled filling into the mold, cover it with the second dough disk, and seal the edges well. Make small incisions on the surface and brush it with extra virgin olive oil.
Finally, bake the Apulian calzone in a preheated static oven at 392°F (200°C) for 40-45 minutes.
Once out of the oven, let it cool on a cooling rack before slicing and serving it. 😉
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