If you've ever walked into a bar in Sardinia at 8 in the morning, you've seen them: Puff Pastry Pizzette sitting next to the croissants, right by the espresso machine. Unlike classic mini pizzette, these pizzette from Cagliari look nothing like pizza and taste slightly like one but more delicate and more butter-y.
Locals order them with their morning coffee. Yes, a mini tomato pizza. For breakfast. With cappuccino.
Imagine two thin discs of buttery puff pastry sealed around a spoonful of rich, concentrated tomato sauce, with a single caper hiding in the middle. They are crisp and flaky on the outside, soft and saucy on the inside.
The best part? At home, they take about 30 minutes with a roll of store-bought puff pastry. No dough, no rising, no excuses.
Table Of Contents
What Are Pizzette Sfoglia?
Pizzetta sfoglia (plural: pizzette sfoglia) means "puff pastry mini pizza." Unlike the fluffy bread-dough pizzette found in bakeries throughout Italy, these are a Sardinian specialty. They originated in Cagliari in the 1950s and are now present in nearly every bar, bakery, and pasticceria on the island.
The recipe is surprisingly simple: two discs of puff pastry, one as the base one at the top enclose well-seasoned cooked-down tomato sauce which Sardinians call sa bagna. Adding a caper is a must, but some would also go for an anchovy.
Pizzette not just bar food anymore. In 2022, the pizzetta cagliaritana was officially added to Italy's national list of traditional agri-food products (PAT). This list protects hundreds of Italy's historic regional specialties. Not bad for something that was likely invented by accident.
The Story: A Happy Accident
Like many beloved Italian street foods, the origin involves leftovers.
The version told in Cagliari goes like this: some time after the war, a baker had extra puff pastry from the morning's croissants. He also had tomato sauce in the kitchen. Instead of throwing the dough away, he cut it into discs, added sauce, included a couple of capers for seasoning, and baked them. They sold out. His coworkers followed his lead. Seventy years later, the pizzetta sfoglia is a symbol of the city.
Historic bakeries like Pasticceria Mariuccia in the Pirri neighborhood, open since 1937, have been making them for generations. Their documentation helped achieve the official PAT recognition. For authenticity, the capers should come from Selargius, a town just outside Cagliari where they have been grown since the 1860s. Any good brined capers will work well at home.
Ingredient Notes & Add-Ons
- Puff Pastry: Ready-made puff pastry rolls, round or rectangular work equally well. I use my homemade magic puff pastry dough.
- Tomato sauce: Make it from scratch with a splash of extra virgin olive oil or use a shortcut with a high-quality ready-to-use sauce. Agromonte Cherry Tomato Sauce is what I use and I’m sure you can get it too. It’s exported from Italy and available in many countries.
- Capers: Use capers in brine, NOT in salt.
- Oregano: Counterintuitive as it sounds, dried oregano has a more intense flavor than the fresh one and it’s much easier to get. Use a generous amount.
Optional Add-Ons
- Anchovies: Totally optional but it’s very common to find pizzette with a piece of anchovy fillet and it’s absolutely delicious.
- Cheese: Adding a cube of mozzarella cheese (the kind you would use for pizza) is less common but still an option. Note: no anchovies in the cheese version.
Tips - Don't Miss!
- Keep the sauce thick. A watery sauce will make the pastry soggy. Cook it down well, or drain it through a paper towel-lined sieve for 5-10 minutes before using.
- Let the sauce cool completely before filling. Warm sauce will start to melt the pastry and make it harder to work with.
- Chill the dough. If your kitchen temperature is above 73F (23C) pop the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes before making the recipe otherwise the dough will start to melt and will be very difficult to work with.
- Roll the pastry thin. At 1.5-2 millimeters, the pastry bakes through evenly and stays crisp. Too thick and the pizzette will be doughy.
- Don't skip the eggwash on the base. Brushing the bottom disc before adding the filling helps seal the layers and prevents the base from going soft.
- Leave a clean border. At least 1 centimeter around the edge is needed for a proper seal — don't overfill.
- Press the edges firmly. Use a fork for a tighter seal and a neater finish. This also prevents the filling from leaking during baking.
More Recipes Using Puff Pastry
Full Recipe
Puff Pastry Pizzette from Cagliari
Ingredients
- 2 rolls puff pastry , store-bough or homemade (about 450 grams total)
- 1 cup tomato passata / tomato puree (alternatively use precooked tomato sauce)
- Dried oregano , generous tablespoon
- 1-2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Handful of capers
- 1 egg , beaten (used for eggwash)
- Anchovies (optional)
Instructions
- Make the sauce. If using plain tomato puree or tomato passata, cook it down in a small saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it's no longer watery. Let cool completely. Add salt (and a pinch of sugar if the sauce lacks natural sweetness). Season generously with oregano.Alternatively, use precooked tomato sauce but watch out for it to be thick and not watery! If needed, you can leave it over a sieve lined with a paper towel to drain for 5-10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C) with fan ON or 375°F (190°C) fan OFF.
- Roll and cut the dough. Roll puff pastry to about 1.5-2 millimeters thick (around 1/16 of an inch). Cut out 10-12 centimeters discs using a cutter or a glass. You'll need two discs for each pizzetta: one for the base, one for the lid.
- Prepare the basis. Arrange half of the discs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg.
- Add the filling. Place a generous teaspoon of tomato sauce on each disc. Make sure to leave at least a 1-centimeter border for sealing. Top with 2-3 capers. (If making smaller size pizzette, 1 caper is enough).
- Seal. Cover each base with the second disc and press around the edges with your fingertips or using a fork.
- Glaze and bake. Brush each pizzetta with the remaining eggwash. I sometimes also sprinkle with a few sesame seeds, totally optional. Bake pizzette in a preheated 356°F (180°C) oven for about 15 minutes (+/- 2 minutes). Turn the baking sheet halfway through the time for even baking.
- Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Keep the sauce thick.
- Let the sauce cool completely before filling.
- Chill the dough before rolling during hot season.
- Roll the pastry thin.
- Don't skip the eggwash on the base.
- Leave a clean border.
- Press the edges firmly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fred says
Please send your homemade puff pastry recipe. Thank you.
Svitlana says
Hi Fred, here you go: https://www.italianrecipebook.com/magic-puff-pastry-dough/
karen says
Please share your 5-minute puff pastry recipe--
Svitlana says
Here you go Karen: https://www.italianrecipebook.com/magic-puff-pastry-dough/
Heidi E says
I don’t like using store-bought processed ANYTHING…. I would love your recipe for the puff pastry. This way I can use organic ingredients.
Svitlana says
I have incredible respect for people who recognize the real value of the homemade. I've just published the puff-pastry recipe and you're the first one to know 🙂 Please do let me know when you try it.
Puff Pastry recipe: https://www.italianrecipebook.com/magic-puff-pastry-dough/
Diane says
Hi - thank you for this wonderful recipe along with your many others!
Could you kindly send the recipe for your 5 min puff pastry? I am gluten free and would like to try experimenting. Thank you!
Svitlana says
Sure, Diane! I just published it here: https://www.italianrecipebook.com/magic-puff-pastry-dough/
Please let me know when you try it.