Calabrese
Calabrese Pizza comes from southern Italy.
The pizza is made of gooey Mozzarella and provolone, spicy Salami, Black Olives, anchovies, capers along with a touch of heat of a calabrian chile Paste combine make this pizza so flavorsome.
This spicy Calabrese pizza is everything you will ever want in a spicy pizza.
If you like Seafood pizza with Tomato pizza sauce get ready for hunger pains.
Pizza is a fun food to make as a group because it’s interactive and allows everyone to get creative with their toppings. Everyone can choose their own toppings and make their own personalized pizza. Plus, it’s a great way to bond and spend time together while creating something tasty.
You can make the dough from scratch, or even use pre-made dough, and have a mini pizza making party. It’s a great activity for kids and adults alike, everyone can get involved and have fun. It’s also a great way to teach kids about cooking and different ingredients.
Additionally, making pizza together is a great way to break the ice and get to know each other if you are in a new group. Overall, pizza making is a fun, interactive and tasty way to bring people together, have a good time and make memories.
Pizza in Italy
A Naples invention, Pizza originated in Italy in the 1700’s, and they know how to craft the perfect pizza. Naples is the most famous location for pizza in the entire world, and you can still visit the world’s oldest pizzeria, the stunning Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba.
Take a look at some of the other pizzas from Italy here.
| Origin | Italy |
| Type | Seafood |
| Sauce | Tomato Sauce |
Calabrese Pizza Recipe
Below we’ve put together a recipe for you to make your own homemade Calabrese Pizza either in your pizza oven or on a pizza stone in your oven.
| Dough | 2 hours |
| Assembly | 10 minutes |
| Baking | 12-20 minutes |
Calabrese Pizza Ingredients
Get enough of the toppings that you will need for the amount of pizzas you plan to make. The dough and sauce amounts below are for 3-4 medium sized pizzas, so scale up or down, based on your requirements.
Simple Pizza dough
- 2 tsps (7 g sachet) dried yeast
- 1 cup (250 ml) luke-warm water
- 400 g (2 2/3 cups) 00 or pizza flour
- 2 tsps salt
- 3 tbsps (1/4 cup) olive oil
Calabrese Pizza Toppings
Toppings used in this pizza recipe, are;
- Tuna
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Olives
- Capers
- Onion
- Hot Calabrian Chili Peppers
- Garlic
Simple Tomato Pizza Sauce
- 1 can (15oz/420g) tomatoes, whole or crushed
- 1 can (6oz/170g) tomato paste
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 a small onion
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp salt
Want to try a different sauce? See our article on the different types of pizza sauces.
TIP
You can click on any of the tags at the bottom of this page, to find other pizzas besides Calabrese Pizza, that use that topping.
Pizza Dough Method
If you don’t have much time, grab a premade pizza base at your local grocery store, or hand make your own pizza dough following the simple steps below.
- Whisk the lukewarm water and yeast in a plastic or glass jug. Let mixture stand for five minutes.
- Add salt and flour in a large bowl. Create a hollow well in the middle and gently pour the liquid yeast mixture and oil.
- Using a spatula, or your hands, mix the dough really well until smooth. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for five minutes.
- Lightly oil a bowl, and place dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes to an hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for another 5 minutes or until smooth.
- Sprinkle a little flour on the bench before rolling to prevent dough from sticking.
- Divide the dough into balls, and roll out bases to desired size.
TIP: We have other dough recipes if you would like to try your hand at sourdough, poolish or more.
Tomato Pizza Sauce Method
You can make this tasty pizza sauce following the simple steps below, or you can purchase a pizza sauce at your local supermarket.
- Add ingredients in a large bowl, and stir or blend well.
- Ensure all ingredients are mixed together well.
- Keep mixture sitting for five minutes.
- Your sauce is now ready. Enjoy!
- Keep sauce in fridge or freeze for future use.
You can make the sauce the day before and refrigerate to save time.
Preparing Calabrese Pizza
Switch oven on to at least 450 degrees and preheat for at least 30 minutes.
Stretch out dough into a circle, on a floured surface.
If you are using a pizza steel or stone, make sure it is preheating in oven.
Now it’s time to add the sauce. This recipe calls for Tomato Sauce. Spread the Tomato Sauce around the pizza base, leaving a gap at edges.
Add your ingredients in size, from the largest to smallest.
Cheese should be sprinkled on at the end.
Toppings for this pizza are;
- Tuna
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Olives
- Capers
- Onion
- Hot Calabrian Chili Peppers
- Garlic
I find this pizza great tasting on its own, or why not try it with other pizza types?
Oven time
Put the Calabrese pizza on the middle shelf of the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, open the door and check the pizza.
This pizza should take approximately 15 minutes, however allow it to cook to personal taste.
About Capers
Capers are edible flower buds, that are used as a garnish or seasoning. The fruit from the same plant, Caper Berries, is also edible. Both of which are usually consumed either pickled or salted.
Capers are an ingredient in tartar sauce. Capers are a distinctive ingredient in southern Italian cuisine, especially in Sicilian and Aeolian cooking.
Pizza Tools
When making Calabrese Pizza, we always recommend that you use whatever tools you are able to get your hands on. Our basic pizza tools are…
Mesh Sieve
You will find having a seive such a useful element for pizza making as well as all your baking. It’s great to filter all flours through a fine mesh sieve, to make sure they’re ready for use.
Bench Scrapers
Good quality metal or plastic bench scrapers make it so much esier to both cut your dough, and scrape your bench. I prefer plastic to avoid scratching my bench.
Measuring Cups
Pizza making is all about precision, so having a full set of both wet and dry measuring cups on hand is critical. It is so important when making pizza dough to accurately measure all your ingredients.
Tuna
Tuna are eight different species varying in colour and size. A remarkable and impressive fish, Tuna is a nomadic species, which is found throughout the world’s oceans.
Tuna can be eaten fresh or canned. Tuna loin is commonly eaten raw or seared and lightly seasoned, while canned tuna is precooked for a long time and often prepared heavily dressed.
Pizza Trivia
Here are some interesting facts about pizza.
The most popular pizza cheese
You guessed it! Mozzarella is one of the most popular pizza toppings around the world, no matter what country you are in.
Chill out
In 2020, over 377,000 tons of frozen pizza were sold in Germany.
Largest pizza delivery
The largest pizza delivery was organised by Pizzas 4 Patriots (USA), who sent 30,000 pizzas with DHL Express to the United States Armed Forces, in Kandahar Airfield, Bagram Airbase and Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, on 4 July 2012. The 12 inch pizzas were made by Great Kitchens, Inc. in Illinois in June 2012.
Pizza making FAQ
Want to know how to make delicious pizza at home? Here are some FAQ and their answers to the most common pizza making questions.
Should I get a pizza stone when making homemade pizza?
If you can afford it, yes. A pizza baking stone gives you the best chance to make restaurant quality pizzas at home. A pizza stone creates the hottest-possible environment in a home oven, which results in crusts that rise perfectly around the edges and brown just right on the top and bottom. The only thing better is your own wood fired pizza oven.
When making pizza dough should I spray the pan?
It is important that you ensure your dough doesn’t stick to any bowls or pans that you use. I prefer to gently wipe olive oil across the surface using a paper towel, however spray olive oil used in moderation works just as well for this purpose.
Can I substitute parmesan for mozzarella in making pizza?
Of course! Actually I like to add a little parmesan to all my mozzarella, to give it a tangier taste. It is absolutely a personal choice how much of each cheese or what cheeses to use at all. That’s the fun of homemade pizza making – not having to eat whatever the pizza shop uses.
Have you made Calabrese Pizza?
Calabrese Pizza was a hit or miss for you! Tag us on our Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you thought of it! I’d love to know.
Featured image: Source
