Panuozzo
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Panuozza began as a fun twist on pizza in a family kitchen near Naples and grew into a beloved street snack. Its crisp, lightly charred crust and chewy pizza dough make it stand out from regular Italian sandwiches, whether you fill it with classic mozzarella and prosciutto or modern pesto, arugula, and burrata.
We are actually going to use all of the above ingredients to create the most amazing pizza sandwich you will ever taste!
Check out this How to make Homemade Pizza post for detailed instructions and recipes for making pizzeria quality pizza at home.
What is Panuozzo?
Traditionally, Panuozza is a long, folded sandwich made from pizza dough instead of regular bread. The dough is shaped into a narrow loaf, baked in a very hot oven, then sliced open like a giant roll. After that, it gets filled and returned to the heat for a short second bake.
The result is a sandwich that looks a bit like a stuffed baguette, but it tastes like a folded Neapolitan pizza. A typical Panuozza is around the length of your forearm, with a thin, crisp shell and a soft, stretchy middle. The crust has dark spots from the high heat, just like classic pizza from a wood-fired oven.
I have deviated a bit from the classic recipe, okay I deviated a lot, but it is worth trying for yourself. The inspiration for this sandwich comes from a YouTube video about a pizza truck and his crazy pizza creations. You know me and my love of pizza, so I had to give it a try.
Panuozzo Ingredients
- Italian Pizza Dough: Made with tipo “00” Italian flour will give you the best flavor and texture. You can also purchase store-bought pizza dough, or pre-made pizza dough from a local pizza parlor if needed.
- Basil Pesto: Homemade or store-bought will both work.
- Mozzarella Cheese: This is grated from a block of cheese, not the fresh kind in water.
- Fresh Arugula drizzled with olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper
- Prosciutto de Parma: A classic filling ingredients that adds saltiness and richness to the sandwich.
- Fresh Burrata Cheese: I absolutely love this creamy cheese, it makes the perfect addition to this sandwich.
- Parmesan Cheese: It didn’t feel right not to add this salty addition to finish off an Italian pizza sandwich!
Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.
You May Also Like: Greens Pizza – pesto, arugula, and parmesan on a baked pizza crust.
How To Make Panuozzo
Prepare the Italian pizza dough, cover and store in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to warm up before stretching.
Place baking stone, if you have one, in the center of the oven and preheat to 500°F for one hour to get it nice and hot.
Lightly flour your counter and stretch a piece of pizza dough into a circle, about 12 inches.
Spread the pesto over half of the circle, making sure not to go all the way to the edge. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Fold over to make a half moon. You do not need to seal the edges, we need to add the filling.
Place it on a hot pizza stone or a preheated baking sheet. Bake at the highest temperature your oven allows until it puffs and turns golden with a few dark spots. This can be as quick as 8 to 10 minutes depending on your oven.
Remove from oven and gently open trying not to split the crust into two pieces.
Place the arugula on top of the pesto and melted cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper.
Lay prosciutto slices over the arugula.
Break apart the burrata cheese and spread it over the top.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, fold over, cut in half, and serve.
You May Also Like: Shrimp Pesto Pizza
Tips
- Make sure your oven is working correctly. Mine is not, it does not hold a steady temperature – so my crust is on the light side. It is still cooked through, just not charred on top.
- This sandwich can also be made in a pizza oven – I really wish I had one of those!
- Adjust the toppings to suit your tastes. Roasted peppers, grilled zucchini, marinated eggplant, mortadella, or a few olives would be delicious additions.
How To Store
- Allow sandwich to cool completely. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat or eat at room temperature.
- Freeze without the arugula or burrata for up to one month. Defrost, reheat, and fill before serving.
You May Also Like: Prosciutto-Arugula Pizza
Panuozzo Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian pizza dough Prepare the Italian pizza dough, cover and store in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours.
- .33 cup basil pesto
- 3.5 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1.25 cup baby arugula a big handful
- drizzle olive oil
- black pepper to taste
- 2 ounces sliced prosciutto
- 4 ounce ball fresh burrata
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to warm up before stretching.
- Place baking stone, if you have one, in the center of the oven and preheat to 500°F for one hour to get it nice and hot.
- Lightly flour your counter and stretch a piece of pizza dough into a circle, about 12 inches.
- Spread the pesto over half of the circle, making sure not to go all the way to the edge. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Fold over to make a half moon. You do not need to seal the edges, we need to add the filling.
- Place it on a hot pizza stone or a preheated baking sheet. Bake at the highest temperature your oven allows until it puffs and turns golden with a few dark spots. This can be as quick as 8 to 10 minutes depending on your oven.
- Remove from oven and gently open trying not to split the crust into two pieces.
- Place the arugula on top of the pesto and melted cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper. Lay prosciutto slices over the arugula. Break apart the burrata cheese and spread it over the top.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, fold over, cut in half, and serve.
Notes
- Make sure your oven is working correctly. Mine is not, it does not hold a steady temperature – so my crust is on the light side. It is still cooked through, just not charred on top.
- This sandwich can also be made in a pizza oven – I really wish I had one of those!
- Adjust the toppings to suit your tastes. Roasted peppers, grilled zucchini, marinated eggplant, mortadella, or a few olives would be delicious additions.
- Allow sandwich to cool completely. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat or eat at room temperature.
- Freeze without the arugula or burrata for up to one month. Defrost, reheat, and fill before serving.
- Each sandwich serves 2 to 3 people depending on how hungry they are.
