Panuozzi originate from Campania and are best described as filled pizza breads — a delicious cross between pizza and a sandwich. They are baked as oblong flatbreads, then sliced open and filled after baking. Below is a clear, kitchen-tested method using burrata, cherry tomatoes and rocket.
What are Panuozzi?
Panuozzi are airy pizza breads with a crisp crust. They are baked without toppings, then cut open and filled fresh. The result is warm, fragrant bread with a creamy, fresh filling — ideal for sharing.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 215 g wheat flour (Type 550)
- 100 g Tipo 00 flour
- 0,5 g dried yeast (or 1,5 g fresh yeast)
- 10 g sugar
- 180 g water (room temperature)
- 10 g salt
For the filling
- 200 g tomato passata
- 150 g cherry tomatoes
- 30 g rocket
- 2 burrata
- olive oil and salt to season the passata
Also
- durum wheat semolina for the work surface
Method
1) Prepare the dough (the evening before)
Mix both flours with the dried yeast and sugar. If using fresh yeast, dissolve it first in a little water. Add about half the water to the flour mixture and combine. Add the remaining water and the salt and knead in the bowl until a homogeneous dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and continue kneading by hand until the dough is elastic.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rest for 1–2 hours at room temperature. Then keep covered in the fridge for 12–24 hours.
2) Shape the dough portions (on the baking day)
Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half. For each portion, fold the edges towards the centre, turn and fold again towards the centre. Cover and leave to prove for 1.5–2 hours, until the portions have noticeably risen.
3) Prepare the filling
Season the passata with a little olive oil and salt. Wash, dry and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Trim the rocket. The filling is added to the bread only after baking.
4) Baking
Preheat the pizza oven or conventional oven with a pizza stone/baking stone to about 250 °C. Roll the dough portions in durum wheat semolina and gently shape them into oblong rectangles (approx. 10 × 30 cm). Place on baking paper or a well-floured pizza peel and bake for about 12 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.
Note: Cooking times may differ in very hot pizza ovens. You can judge doneness by a golden-brown crust and a clearly risen crumb.
5) Fill and serve
Slice the Panuozzi lengthways. Spread the lower halves with the seasoned passata and top with the cherry tomatoes. Return to the oven for 1–2 minutes so everything warms through slightly.
Remove, scatter rocket and burrata over them, season to taste, fold closed and halve for serving.
Tips for successful Panuozzi
- Dust the work surface with durum wheat semolina: this makes shaping easier and promotes a crispy base.
- Handle gently when shaping: avoid degassing too much so the crumb stays open.
- Oven equipment: a pizza stone improves bottom heat. A sturdy pizza peel makes handling at a hot oven easier.
- Variations: coarsely crushed ripe tomatoes also work well instead of passata. Add the rocket only at the very end.
Buon appetito!