Potato Calzones

Potato calzones are a tasty variant of the more traditional stuffed calzones. This typically southern recipe, often known as “potato panzerotti” or “baked potato calzones,” involves a dough similar to that of pizza stuffed with a potato filling. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 12 g of fresh brewer’s yeast (or 4 g of dried brewer’s yeast)
• 300 ml of lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

• 600 g of potatoes
• 150 g of provola or mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
• 100 g of Napoli type salami or other salami of your choice, cut into cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• A pinch of oregano or minced rosemary (optional)

Preparation:

1. Start by preparing the dough: dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water with the sugar and let it rest for a few minutes until foam forms on the surface.
2. In a large bowl, pour the sifted flour and make a well in the center where you will add the dissolved yeast and oil. Start kneading, adding the salt only at the end.
3. Work the dough until you get a smooth and homogeneous ball, then cover it with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.
4. In the meantime, prepare the filling: boil the potatoes in salted water until they are soft. Drain, peel them while they are still hot and mash them with a potato masher or fork.
5. To the potato puree, add the provola or mozzarella, the salami, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and oregano or rosemary if you wish. Mix everything well.
6. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
7. Once the dough has risen, take a piece and roll it out into a disk on a lightly floured surface.
8. Put a portion of the filling in the center of the disk, then close the calzone by pinching the edges to seal well.
9. Drizzle the surface of the calzones with a stream of oil and, if you like, a bit of coarse salt.
10. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve the potato calzones hot, preferably just out from the oven, to enjoy them in the best way.

Curiosity

In the small towns of Southern Italy, it is quite common to find fried versions of these calzones, even crunchier and more delicious, but clearly more caloric. The presence of nutmeg and aromatic herbs in the filling is typical of certain areas and can vary according to local traditions or personal tastes.