Description
A delicious Italian-inspired Panuozzo Sandwich featuring a chewy, blistered pizza dough base filled with creamy mozzarella, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, and fresh basil. Baked to golden perfection, this sandwich offers a delightful combination of smoky, earthy, and fresh flavors accented by a brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough
- 500 grams pizza dough
Fillings
- 200 grams shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 large roasted red pepper, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced and grilled
- A handful fresh basil leaves
Seasoning and Finishing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Semolina flour, for dusting parchment paper
- Optional: sea salt for sprinkling after baking
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) and place a pizza stone or baking tray inside to heat up thoroughly, ensuring a crispy bottom on the dough.
- Prepare Ingredients: While the oven heats, prepare your fillings by shredding the mozzarella cheese, roasting and slicing the red pepper, grilling and slicing the zucchini, and washing the fresh basil leaves.
- Roll Out Dough: Roll the pizza dough into an oval shape using your hands or a rolling pin. Place the dough onto parchment paper dusted lightly with semolina flour to prevent sticking and add texture.
- Par-Bake the Dough: Transfer the dough on parchment to the hot pizza stone or tray and bake for 8 minutes. This initial bake helps develop a chewy, blistered crust that can hold the fillings.
- Add Fillings: Remove the dough from the oven, slice it open like a pocket but not completely separated, then fill with shredded mozzarella, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, and fresh basil leaves. Season with black pepper.
- Bake Filled Sandwich: Return the filled dough to the oven and bake for an additional 6 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted beautifully.
- Finish and Serve: Let the sandwich rest for 5 minutes out of the oven to allow flavors to meld. Brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt for enhanced flavor and crispness, then slice and serve hot. Optionally serve with tomato sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Using a pizza stone ensures a crisp crust by evenly distributing heat.
- Semolina flour helps prevent the dough from sticking and adds a slight crunch to the base.
- Grilling the zucchini beforehand adds smoky flavor and prevents excess moisture inside the sandwich.
- Resting the sandwich after baking allows juices to settle and the cheese to set slightly for easier slicing.
- Feel free to customize your fillings with other roasted or grilled vegetables according to preference.
