Neapolitan-Style Calzone Diavola

Cook Time 1 hour (+ resting time)

Servings 2-4

Ingredients

1 quantity Neapolitan-style Pizza Dough

½ tsp dried yeast

275ml lukewarm water

450g (3 cups) plain, OO or bakers flour, plus extra for dusting

3 tsp salt flakes

Plain flour, for dusting

Semolina, for dusting

160g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved

250g (1¼ cups) fresh ricotta, well drained

150g tomato passata, plus two tbsp for extra topping

80g spicy salami, cut into chunks

Salt

Extravirgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method

Mix the yeast and water in a bowl and stand for a few minutes to froth up.

Tip the flour into a large bowl, pour in the yeast mixture and mix until a dough comes together. Add the salt and knead lightly to incorporate. Knead vigorously on a lightly floured surface for up to 10 minutes or until smooth, shiny and elastic. (if you have a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, by all means use it instead of your muscle power.) Dust with flour, then cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.

Using floured hands, stretch the dough into a rectangle, then fold the top and bottom thirds into a centre, like folding a letter, and tuck the ends under to form a ball. Place in an oiled container fitted with a lid- make sure the container is large enough to allow plenty of room for rising. Cover and rest at room temperature for 2 hours, then place the container in the fridge overnight (or for up to 4 days), to slow-prove and develop flavour and texture.

A couple of hours before you want to use the dough, remove it from the fridge and take off the lid. Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. Divide into two balls.

Preheat your oven to its hottest setting (up to 250°C if you have it). Place a 25cm pizza tray or round baking tray in the oven to heat up.

Place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using your fingers, stretch the dough into a 20-22cm round. Place the stretched dough on a sheet of baking paper dusted with semolina.

Place half the tomato, ricotta, passata and salami on one half of the dough. Season with salt and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Fold the other half of the dough over and tuck and pinch the edges to seal, enclosing the filling. Dollop on 1 tbsp extra of passata and spread with the back of a spoon. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top and season with salt.

Using oven mitts, carefully take the hot tray out of the oven. Slide the calzone (on its baking paper) onto the tray and immediately return it to the oven. Do this as quickly as you can do avoid losing heat. Bake for 15 minutes, then open the oven door and carefully remove the baking paper. Quickly close the oven door and bake for a further 5-7 minutes or until the crust is nicely puffed up and slightly burnished.

Take the calzone out of the oven, slide it onto a board and serve hot. Repeat with the second ball of dough and remaining filling ingredients to make a second calzone.

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