Breakfast pizza recipe as in Cagliari

Breakfast pizza recipe as in Cagliari: a small introduction.

When you are visiting Sardinia, you might notice, particularly in the capital city Cagliari, that when you go to a coffee shop in the morning to have your breakfast, there is always a tray with round pastries, approx. 8cm in diameter, made with puff pastry called ‘pizzetta’. These puff pastry pizza-like or breakfast pizzas are served during the mornings nearby the sweet pastries, and it is probably the only non-sweet breakfast you can find in Italy.

The origin of pizzette is pretty recent, starting in the middle of the 20th century, when a pastry chef had some puff pastry left over from croissants. Instead of throwing it away, he decided to cut out some circles, put tomato sauce on, oregano and capers, and cover with more puff pastry. He was so pleased with them that he decided to sell them too. Since then, all coffee shops in Cagliari and other towns in Sardinia have them on their menu. It’s a success indeed!

Breakfast pizzette Cagliari style

Good to know

Some people add to the tomato sauce not only oregano and capers, but also small bits of anchovies and small cubes of mozzarella, though it’s not in the norm or in the original recipe.

Delicious as they are!

Ingredients serves 20

1. Puff pastry, ready-made, 2 rolls

2. Tomato pulp, chopped

3. Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp

4. Oregano, a pinch

5. Salt, a pinch

6. Capers, 20

7. Anchovies in olive oil, 5 small fillets cut in bits (optional)

8. Egg, 1 beaten for glazing

Let’s jump to the method

1. Get ready all the ingredients.

2. Switch the oven on to 200°C.

3. In a bowl, mix the finely chopped tomato pulp with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

4. Add a pinch of salt and oregano, and set aside.

5. Roll out both packs of puff pastry and with an 8 cm round cutter, cut 20 circles (10 for filling and 10 as a cover).

6. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture in the middle of 10 of the pastry circles.

7. Add 2 capers each and spread with just a bit of anchovy (optional). Anchovies are very salty, so a very small amount is enough.

8. Place the remaining 10 pastry circles on top of the filled pastry.

9. Press gently with your finger on the borders to seal both pastries together to form the round pizzettas.

10. Now use the border of a 6 cm glass, place it on top of each round pizzetta and press gently to seal it off completely, making sure not to break it.

11. Beat the egg and brush it on top of each pizzetta.

12. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes.

13. Enjoy your breakfast or snack!

Breakfast pizzette Cagliari style