A traditional Puff Pastry Pizza recipe from Puglia known as 'Rustici Leccasi' in Italian. This Italian street food is perfect as an appetizer or snack!
2 ¾lbspuff pastryprep time assumes that you are buying the puff pastry
2ozmozzarelladry (for gooey filling) or fresh mozzarella; diced
Besciamella Sauce
1tbspbutter
2tbspflour
¾cupwhole milk
nutmegto taste
1pinchfine saltor to taste
Tomato Filling
3 ½ozwhole canned tomato or tomato purèeUsing whole canned tomato? Use just the pulp (not the liquid)
1tbspolive oil
1pinchfine saltto taste
1tspdry oreganoor to taste
Egg Wash
1wholeegg
2yolksegg
1 ½tbspheavy cream
Instructions
Make the Besciamella Sauce
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and mix to a smooth paste consistency.
1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour
Add the milk (warm) a little at a time, whisking continuously. When all of the milk has been added, keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and dense. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground nutmeg to taste.Reduce the heat if you need to in order to control the thickening process.Set the finished Besciamella Sauce aside to cool.
¾ cup whole milk, nutmeg, 1 pinch fine salt
Prepare the Tomato and Cheese
Prepare the tomato. If using fresh (peeled) or whole canned tomato: Remove all seeds and liquid. Chop the pulp. Alternatively, use tomato purée.To the tomatoes, mix in: A pinch of salt, olive oil and oregano to taste.
3 ½ oz whole canned tomato or tomato purèe, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 pinch fine salt, 1 tsp dry oregano
Cut the cheese into small cubes. If using fresh mozzarella, be sure to squeeze out any excess water—we need dry cheese for our filling!
2 oz mozzarella
Cut the Puff Pastry
Cut out 24 'large' rounds —using a 4 inch (10 cm) cookie or biscuit cutter. Two of the 'large' rounds will be stacked to make the bottom of one puff pastry pizza!
2 ¾ lbs puff pastry
Cut out 12 'smaller' rounds — using a 3 inch (8 cm) cookie or biscuit cutter. One of these form the top of each puff pastry pizza!
Make the Egg Wash
Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and heavy cream until smooth.This egg wash is important for helping the puff pastry to turn golden. It also acts as a seal between the top and bottom puff pastry. Finally, the egg wash on top helps to seal in the filling to avoid leaking.
1 whole egg, 2 yolks egg, 1 ½ tbsp heavy cream
Assemble the Puff Pastry Pizzas
Lay one layer of the 'large' rounds on a non-stick baking tray (or a baking tray covered with parchment paper). Brush a thin layer of egg wash over the tops.
Cover the 'large' rounds with a second layer of 'large' rounds. We need 2 layers for the bottom of each of our pizzas!
Brush egg wash around the border of each 'large' round, leaving space in the center for the filling.
Add the following to the center of each pastry: 1 tsp (or less) of besciamella sauce, 1 tsp (or less) of tomato, several cubes of mozzarella.
Lay one 'smaller' round over the top of the filling, and press gently to seal the edges of that round against the bottom pastry.
Brush another thin layer of egg wash over the entire top of each puff pastry pizza.
Bake the Pizzas
Bake the puff pastry pizzas in a pre-heated (static) oven at 400° F (200° C) for 20 minutes. Bake until golden! Buon appetito.
Video
Notes
Use Dry MozzarellaTo avoid leaks, be sure to use dry (shreddable) mozzarella. If using fresh mozzarella, be sure to squeeze out any excess water. Want Gooey Filling?For gooey, stringy cheesy filling, choose dry (not fresh) mozzarella. How to Avoid Leaks
Remove as much water as possible to avoid filling leaks. Also, be sure there is a good seal between the edges of the top pastry and the bottom pastry—this is why we add the egg wash first!
The egg wash acts as a seal that prevents filling from escaping, so be sure to cover the entire puff pastry pizza with egg wash!
Perforate the puff pastry before using it. We are referring here to the tiny holes you see in the pastry. On the package instructions, most commercial pastry sheets recommend perforating (with a fork or tool). However, many people miss this. Perforations allow the steam to escape during the bake. This means the puff pastry will 'puff' less and be less likely to puff so much that it breaks the egg wash seal. If the seal breaks, the filling will leak out just as ravioli filling can leak.
Other Fillings?Sure! Get creative. Here, we've shown you a simple traditional version of this Puff Pastry Pizza from Puglia. But, you can fill these rustici with anything you like. Let us know in the comments what delicious filling ideas you have!