Small calzone without leavening: the quick and light recipe for the Italian specialty food

The unleavened small calzone are one of the most typical Italian delicacies. Traditionally prepared with brewer's yeast and then fried in hot oil, we propose them here in a very quick (since the dough is made with instant yeast and therefore it does not require rest) and light (because baked in the oven) version. An equally fragrant and tasty variant, perfect to brighten the appetizer time without any sense of guilt. So let’s see how to make them perfect.

How to prepare small calzone without leavening

In a bowl mix the two types of flours. Add the brewer’s yeast, salt, sugar and milk, mixing thoroughly with a fork (1).

Transfer the dough to a work surface, sprinkled with a little flour; work vigorously until it is firm and homogeneous (2). Form a smooth ball, wrap it in plastic and let it rest just long enough to prepare the filling.

Mash the tomatoes with a fork (3). Add a pinch of salt and the grated cheese, mixing well.

Take back the dough and divide it into 8 pieces (4).

From each of the 8 pieces, make a ball, then roll it out and form a 3-4 mm thick disc (5).

Spread a spoonful of tomato on each disk, taking care to leave 1 cm of free edge (6).

Place a few cubes of cheese in the center (7).

Close the dough and seal the edges well (8).

Place the small calzone on a baking sheet, brush them with a mixture prepared with 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 of water (9) and then bake them at 200 degrees C for 12-13 minutes, or at least until they are golden brown.

After the necessary cooking time, take them out of the oven, transfer them to a serving dish and serve them hot (10).

Tips

To prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface, remember to sprinkle it with a little flour or semolina. With these doses you will get a total of 8 small calzone.

In this recipe the small calzone are stuffed with the classic tomato and mozzarella cheese filling, but you can indulge yourself with salami, cheeses and vegetables, depending on your taste. So that the stuffing does not come out during cooking, just remember to seal the edges of the small calzone well with the help of the prongs of a fork.

It is good to use provolone cheese or mozzarella cheese for pizza, much drier than the classic fiordilatte cheese; in case you want to use the latter, you can cut it into slices, collect them in a colander and drain them until it has lost most of their water. If you like, you can add a little powdered oregano or some chopped basil leaves to the tomatoes.

In the recipe proposed here this typical Italian specialty is baked in the oven; in case you want to prepare a more traditional and delicious version, you can fry your small calzone in hot oil. To make them perfect, try this recipe for fried small calzone.

If you want to prepare them in an absolutely original version, use salted shortcrust pastry as an alternative to the classic base dough.

Preservation

It is preferable to taste hot and freshly baked small calzone. Anyway you can preserve them for one, maximum two days, in the refrigerator, closed in a special airtight container or wrapped with a sheet of transparent film. Before consuming them, be careful to heat them up a few minutes in the oven, just long enough for the cheese to melt.