23 Jun 2026
Neapolitan Panuozzo is a traditional Italian pizza-style sandwich bread made from a high-hydration dough made from 00 flour. The dough is stretched into an oval, baked at high temperature until it puffs like a pocket, then sliced, filled, and returned briefly to the oven for a crisp finish and melted cheese. This version uses MORCOTE® 00 Pizza Flour to deliver extensibility, light chew, and strong oven spring. It is ideal for pizzerias, boutique cafés, and an excellent addition to Italian menus.
23 Jun 2026
For Panuozzo Dough (9 units per 1kg dough)
For Panuozzo Filling
In a Dough Mixing: In a spiral mixer bowl, combine MORCOTE® 00 Pizza Flour and fine sea salt. Separately, add the fresh yeast to chilled water and pour it into the mixer bowl. Knead on slow speed for 4 minutes until the flour is fully hydrated and a cohesive dough mass forms. Increase to fast speed and knead for 5 minutes to develop a strong gluten framework. Reduce the mixer speed to slow and stream in the extra virgin olive oil. Once added, switch back to fast speed and mix for another 2–3 minutes until the oil is fully emulsified and the dough becomes smooth, glossy, and pulls away cleanly from the bowl. Target dough temperature should be 24°C to 25°C.
Bulk Fermentation: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container, cover, and allow it to rest at ambient temperature for 60 minutes. For enhanced flavour, improved blistering, and better leopard spotting during baking, the dough may be cold-retarded at 4°C for 18–24 hours.
Portioning & Shaping: Divide the dough into uniform 180g to 200g pieces. Round each piece tightly into a smooth dough ball, place on a tray, cover, and rest for 45–60 minutes to relax the gluten. On a floured surface, gently press and stretch each dough ball into a long rectangular oval, approximately 20 cm × 10 cm. Use fingertips carefully to preserve internal gas bubbles and avoid degassing the dough excessively.
First Bake / Puff Bake: Preheat a deck oven or high-temperature pizza oven to 300°C to 320°C. Slide the shaped dough directly onto the hot stone and bake for 3–5 minutes. The dough should inflate like a balloon, develop light charring on the ridges, and form a hollow, pocket-like structure suitable for filling. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before slicing.
Final Assembly & Melt Bake: While still slightly warm, slice the puffed bread horizontally. Spread pesto on both inner sides, then layer with sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella. Season with cracked black pepper & salt to taste. Close the sandwich and return it to the oven at 250°C for approximately 2 minutes, just until the cheese melts and the exterior crust become crisp. Serve warm for best texture.
