This Calabrese pizza celebrates the bold, rustic flavors of southern Italy—briny olives, salty anchovies and tangy capers with a touch of chili heat. It’s a straightforward, satisfying pizza you can make at home without a professional pizza oven, and the dough doesn’t require days of refrigeration to develop great flavor.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
If you love strong, Mediterranean flavors, this Calabrese pizza delivers. A simple tomato-based topping is cooked with anchovies, olives and capers so every bite is layered with savory, salty and slightly spicy notes. The crust is crisp on the outside with a soft, airy edge, and the whole pizza comes together quickly without advanced equipment or long fermentation.
Traditional Calabrese pizzas often avoid adding cheese before baking; instead, grated Parmesan is scattered over the hot pizza after it comes out of the oven, and a drizzle of garlic oil and some fresh basil finish the dish beautifully.
For ingredient amounts and the full method, see the printable recipe card in the recipe section below.
Ingredients
The dough starts with classic pizza dough ingredients:
- Bread flour – preferred for chew and structure; all-purpose works if necessary.
- Active dry yeast – instant yeast can be used, but it may speed the rise.
- Warm water – just warm to the touch; hot water can kill the yeast.
- Salt – fine sea salt is ideal.
This dough also includes a little honey and olive oil for flavor and texture.
Toppings are straightforward pantry ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil – used for cooking and finishing.
- Garlic – fresh cloves for the sauce and garlic oil.
- Canned whole tomatoes in puree – choose a good-quality brand to reduce excess water.
- Black olives – stone-in olives have more flavor; coarse chop before adding.
- Capers – drained if packed in vinegar.
- Anchovies – use good-quality fillets in oil and chop them for the sauce.
- Oregano – dried.
- Red pepper flakes – for the classic Calabrese heat.
Variations
- Add grated mozzarella for a cheesier finish.
- Include slices of spicy Calabrese salami or a smear of ’nduja for extra heat and richness.
Instructions
Start by making the dough, then prepare the tomato topping while the dough rises.
How to make the dough
- Whisk warm water with yeast and honey and set aside until the mixture becomes bubbly (about 10 minutes).
- Add the flour and mix until combined. Rest 5 minutes, then add the olive oil and salt and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic—about 5 minutes with a mixer or 7 minutes by hand.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces and shape each into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath.
- Place dough balls on an oiled baking sheet, rub with a little olive oil, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1½–2 hours).
To finish the pizza
- Make the tomato topping: gently cook chopped garlic in olive oil until fragrant but not browned, add canned tomatoes and crush with a fork. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Chop anchovies, halve and pit the olives, and add them with the capers, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt to the skillet. Simmer 3–5 minutes more—don’t over-reduce.
- When the dough has doubled, shape each ball by pressing and stretching with your fingers on a semolina-dusted surface, leaving a puffy edge and stretching to about 9 inches (23 cm).
- Brush the bases with garlic oil, top with the tomato mixture, and bake on a preheated pizza stone or an aluminum pizza pan at a high temperature (around 250°C / 480°F). Bake 8–13 minutes until the crust is golden and crisp, rotating halfway if needed for even browning.
- After baking, drizzle with extra garlic oil, scatter plenty of grated Parmesan (or Pecorino), add a few basil leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Slice and serve immediately.
Tips for success
- The tomato sauce is the heart of this pizza: cooking the toppings with the tomatoes lets all the flavors meld so every bite is complete and balanced.
- Heat the oven fully before baking and preheat any pizza stone for at least 30 minutes to get a crisp base.
- Shape the dough by hand—pressing and stretching protects the airy rim. Avoid a rolling pin if you want a light, puffy edge.
- Use semolina or extra flour on your surface to prevent sticking when you press and stretch the dough.
- Bake on a heavy aluminum pizza pan for reliable heat transfer, or slide the pizza (on parchment) onto a hot pizza stone for a great crust.
- Don’t overload the toppings; too much moisture will make the crust soggy. Finish with garlic oil and grated cheese for the best flavor and color.
FAQ’s
Common causes are inactive yeast or a cold environment. Always proof the yeast in warm water with a little honey and wait for bubbles before adding flour. If your kitchen is cool, move the dough to a warmer spot or give it more time.
If the dough is ready before you are, refrigerate it to slow fermentation. Cold dough can be baked the next day after coming back to room temperature.
Yes. After shaping into balls, oil and cover them tightly and keep refrigerated overnight. Remove and allow several hours at room temperature before shaping and baking.
Yes. After the first rise, shape into balls, lightly oil, place in a freezer bag and freeze up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature and allow to rise until puffy before baking.
Reheat in a covered skillet or in the oven to help crisp the crust. Microwaving is fastest but will soften the crust.
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Calabrese Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1⅔ cups (400 ml) warm water
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4 cups (500 g) bread flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Semolina or extra flour for pressing out pizzas
Topping
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (14 oz / 400 g) can whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- 15 black olives (about 1 cup / 150 g), pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 10 anchovies in oil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
Garlic oil
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
To serve
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, grated
- Extra red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil
Instructions
Make the dough
- Mix warm water, yeast and honey. Set aside 10 minutes until bubbly.
- Add flour and combine until the mixture comes together. Stand 5 minutes.
- Add oil and salt; mix or knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes with mixer, ~7 minutes by hand). The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Scrape dough onto an oiled surface and gently fold the edges into the center to strengthen it.
- Divide into four balls, tuck under to create a smooth top, place on an oiled baking sheet, rub with olive oil, cover and let rise 1½–2 hours until doubled.
- If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven and preheat to 480ºF / 250ºC.
- Dust your surface with semolina and press each ball from the center to form a base, leaving a puffy edge. Stretch to about 9 inches (23 cm).
- Either prepare on an aluminum pizza pan, or place on parchment and slide onto the hot stone using a baking sheet.
- Brush bases with garlic oil and let rest 30 minutes until slightly puffy, then divide the tomato topping among them.
- Bake 8–13 minutes until golden and crisp, rotating halfway if necessary. Remove and repeat with remaining pizzas.
- Drizzle baked pizzas with garlic oil, scatter grated cheese, add basil and serve.
Tomato topping
- Finely chop garlic and gently cook in olive oil over low-medium heat until fragrant and pale.
- Add canned tomatoes, crush with a fork and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Chop anchovies, pit and halve olives, and add them to the skillet with capers, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Simmer 3–5 minutes more; don’t over-reduce.
Garlic oil
- Combine the oil and crushed garlic and set aside until needed. Use to brush the dough and to finish the pizzas.
Notes
- Cooking the toppings with the tomatoes unites the flavors so each bite tastes complete.
- Preheat a pizza stone for the best crust; a heavy aluminum pan is a good alternative.
- Shape by hand and avoid overworking the dough to keep a puffy rim.
- Don’t overload toppings—too much moisture will make the crust soggy.
- Finish with generous grated cheese, garlic oil and fresh basil.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
| Carbohydrates: 99 g
| Protein: 20 g
| Fat: 34 g
| Sodium: 1744 mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. For precise values, calculate based on the exact ingredients and brands you use.