This is a stuffed pizza from the Calabria region in southern Italy which is very much like the large empanadas of Spain. The filling is made from tuna, tomatoes, olives, etc., and is very tasty. The same basic idea can be done with other fillings as well. This was adapted from Aglaia Kremezi’s Mediterranean Hot and Spicy.

Dough

2 tsp. yeast

1 cup cool water

15 oz (3-1/2 cups) all purpose flour

1 Tbs. kosher salt

½ cup olive oil

Filling

 2 strips bacon, cut into lardons (original recipe used pancetta)

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 tsp. Aleppo pepper

16 oz. can of whole tomatoes, pureed with their juice in a food processor

2 Tbs. capers

½ cup Kalamata olives, chopped

2 (6 oz.) cans good quality tuna packed in oil, drained

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbs. milk for a milk wash

Combine the yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate bowl mix together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture and the olive oil to the mixing bowl. Mix together with a dough whisk or a spoon to hydrate all the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. (This step is called an autolyze and helps develop gluten.) Put a dough hook on the mixer and mix at medium until the dough forms a smooth ball, about 5 minutes. It may be necessary to stop the mixer a few times to move around the dough to ensure that it is all getting massaged by the dough hook. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until almost doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

In the meantime, make the filling. Start by cooking the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat. If the bacon is very fatty, drain off excess fat. Add the garlic, and fry until fragrant. Add the anchovies, Aleppo pepper, and tomatoes, and cook until the mixture is thick, around 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the capers and olives and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the tuna, breaking it up and distributing it evenly in the filling. Allow to cool. When cool, mix in the two beaten eggs.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Divide the dough into two balls, one with about 60% of the dough (to form the base) and the other with about 40% of the dough (to form the top). Put down a piece of baking parchment, lightly flour it and roll the larger ball of dough into a circle, around 15 inches in diameter. Put the filling on the bottom layer, keeping it away from the outer inch or so of the dough, but otherwise spreading it evening. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller ball of dough until it is large enough to cover the filling. Place it over the filling, and curl up the edge of the bottom layer into contact with the top layer and press together to seal the two layers. Brush the top of the dough with milk. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Bake until down and golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. This will make 6 main course servings.