What Is Panuozzo?
Panuozzo is a large, elongated pizza bread invented in 1983 by the Mascolo family in Gragnano (the town famous for dried pasta), on the Sorrento peninsula near Naples. It's baked once, split open, stuffed with fillings, and then baked again until the cheese melts and the exterior crisps.
Think of it as what happens when a Neapolitan pizza and a panino have a very delicious baby.
The Dough: Pure Neapolitan DNA
Panuozzo uses essentially the same dough as Neapolitan pizza:
- ✕ 60–65% hydration
- ✕ Tipo 00 or bread flour
- ✕ Low yeast, long fermentation (8–24 hours)
- ✕ No oil, no sugar – just flour, water, salt, yeast
The only difference is the shaping: instead of round pizza balls, you shape elongated ovals (about 300–350g each) that will become the panuozzo.
Shaping
The Double Bake
This is what makes panuozzo special:
First bake:- ✕ Bake the plain bread at 250–300°C for 8–10 minutes
- ✕ It should be golden outside but still soft and slightly underdone inside
- ✕ Let it cool slightly
- ✕ Slice horizontally (don't cut all the way through)
- ✕ Fill with your chosen ingredients
- ✕ Classic fillings: mozzarella di bufala, prosciutto crudo, arugula
- ✕ Other favorites: sausage and friarielli (broccoli rabe), eggplant parmigiana, grilled vegetables
- ✕ Return to the oven at 220–250°C for 3–5 minutes
- ✕ Just enough to melt the cheese and crisp the exterior
- ✕ The outside should crackle while the inside stays soft
Why It Works
The double bake creates a unique texture contrast:
- ✕ Exterior: Crispy, crackly crust with charred spots
- ✕ Interior: Soft, airy pizza bread that absorbs the filling's juices
- ✕ Filling: Hot, melty, perfectly integrated with the bread
Serving
Panuozzo is served whole (it's large – 30cm+) and typically cut into portions. In Gragnano, it's street food eaten from paper. At home, serve it immediately – the magic is in the contrast between the hot, crispy exterior and the melting filling inside.