Apple and Pear Crumble Dessert Calzone

The crumble can definitely be considered one of the UK’s favourite desserts, and we think adapting it into a tasty dessert calzone gives it an extra special touch. It’s a warming dessert that's super comforting, blending sweet and salty in all the right ways.

Simple and delicious, Batty pays tribute to this old-school classic by cooking the fruit in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. The fruit is then lightly stewed, just enough for the butter and sugar to caramelise, coating the apples and pears in an incredible sauce. Then there’s the crispy oat crumble on top, reimagined using jumbo oats, honey and chopped nuts that have been pan fried; a perfect way to add texture and crunch. And finally, there’s the salted caramel, a perfect companion for any dessert. We like to add a big scoop of it inside the calzone, plus another hefty spoonful drizzled over the baked calzone. Heart and stomach warming, this decadent dessert knows no borders. 



Difficulty

Servings

Serves 4

Prep Time

1 hour

(excluding dough prep)
Cook Time

45 minutes to 1 hour

By Grant Batty

Apple and Pear Crumble Dessert Calzone

Note

This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think our neo-Neapolitan or classic pizza dough all work well, just be sure to set aside 3 to 4 hours for prep and proving. After making the filling, be sure it’s at room temperature before placing it in the dough. The filling should be well cooked but not runny, otherwise the dough won’t cook sufficiently. 



1: Place the apples and pears into a pan or cast iron skillet with butter, demerara sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract.

2: Place on the hob over medium heat and stir regularly until the sugar has dissolved and the juice has evaporated (approx 15 minutes); the apples and pears should be soft to touch and coated in a caramel sauce.

Allow the mixture to cool completely before making the calzone. This can take up to 30 minutes

3: Place the jumbo rolled oats, chopped nuts and honey into a pan over medium heat.

Stir until combined; once the oats and the nuts are coated in the honey, add the ground cinnamon.

4: Cook for approximately 7 to 10 minutes until the oats and nuts are lightly toasted and crispy.

Leave to cool.

5: Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium to high heat until golden, approx 3 to 5 minutes.

Don’t stir the sugar, keep the pan still and allow large bubbles to form. Remove from the heat then add 120 grams of double cream. 

6: Whisk thoroughly until combined, being careful as the sugar and cream will begin to split initially.

Once combined, add 30 grams of butter and 3 grams of sea salt. Whisk until smooth. Allow the salted caramel to cool before serving.

Tip: You can keep the salted caramel in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

7: When you’re ready to cook your dessert calzone, fire up your Ooni pizza oven, aiming for 300°C to 350°C on the stone baking board inside.

Use an infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the stone.

8: Divide your 250 gram dough ball in half using a dough scraper.

Each 250 gram dough ball will make 2 dessert calzones. Place the dough on your lightly-floured work surface. Push the air from the centre out to the edge with your fingers, or alternatively, use a rolling pin for more uniform thickness. Stretch the dough out to a smaller, 9-inch-round (23 centimetres) base of approximately a quarter inch (5 millimetres) in thickness, and then lay the stretched dough over your lightly-floured pizza peel.

9: To the centre of the pizza, add 3 level tablespoons of the apple and pear mix.

Crumble a handful of your oat crumb on top along with 1 large teaspoon of salted caramel. Fold one half of the dough over the other to create a calzone shape. Crimp the edges as demonstrated below.

Crimp the Calzone Edges

10: Give the peel a shake to check nothing is sticking, then launch the calzone into the oven for approximately 3 minutes, turning every 30 seconds or so, until it is thoroughly cooked with a turning peel.

11: Remove, sprinkle icing sugar on top, slice in half and serve hot with ice cream and more salted caramel.

Enjoy!

Grant Batty

Recipe developer, baker and filmmaker based in Cornwall, England, Grant Batty has a passion for all things pizza, in particular creating authentic Sourdough Neapolitan-style pizzas. Follow him @grantbatty.
  • Two 250-gram pizza dough balls

For the apple and pear filling:

  • 3 cooking apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and diced into small ½ inch by ½ inch cubes (about 300 grams)
  • 3 pears, peeled and diced into small ½ inch by ½ inch cubes (about 300 grams)
  • 30 grams unsalted butter
  • 30 grams demerara sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean extract (optional)

For the oat crumble mix:

  • 100 grams jumbo rolled porridge oats
  • 75 grams mixed nuts, roughly chopped (Grant likes a mix of almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts)
  • 50 millilitre honey
  • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

For the salted caramel:

  • 150 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 120 grams double cream
  • 30 grams unsalted butter
  • 3 grams sea salt

For the Calzone:

  • Flour, for dusting and stretching
  • Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
  • Vanilla ice cream