Pizza Chanterelle Saffron Recipe is the original name used here for a cone-shaped pizza: crisp, saffron-glazed dough wrapped around metal moulds, baked, then filled with mushrooms, peppers, cheese and cooked meat. Despite the translated name, this is not a chanterelle-mushroom pizza.

Saffron-glazed pizza cones filled with mushrooms peppers and cheese
Saffron-glazed pizza cones with a mushroom, pepper and cheese filling.

Saffron Pizza Cones

The shells are baked before they are filled, which keeps the pointed ends from turning doughy. Once the cones can hold their shape, add the savoury filling and return them to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

Preparation: 35 minutes
Rising: 2–3 hours
Baking: about 30 minutes
Makes: 8–10 small pizza cones

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 240 ml (1 cup) lukewarm milk
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) neutral oil, plus more for the bowl and moulds
  • Plain flour, about 360–420 g (3–3 1/2 cups), as needed

For the Filling

  • 200 g cooked sausage, diced
  • 100 g cooked deli meat, diced
  • 100 g mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 100 g grated pizza cheese or low-moisture mozzarella

For the Saffron Glaze

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon strong brewed saffron

The saffron should be concentrated enough to colour the dough without making the glaze watery. If needed, prepare it ahead with our guide to brewing saffron, then let it cool.

Make and Rest the Dough

Stir the sugar and yeast into the lukewarm milk. Leave it for about 10 minutes, until the surface looks foamy. Very hot milk can damage the yeast, so it should feel warm rather than hot.

Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl. Add the salt, baking powder and oil. Work in the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms and no longer clings heavily to your hands. Knead for 7–8 minutes; the finished dough should feel smooth and pliable, not stiff.

Lightly oil the bowl and the surface of the dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 2–3 hours, until visibly expanded.

Prepare the Filling

Cook the sliced mushrooms in a dry or lightly oiled frying pan over medium-high heat until their liquid evaporates. Add the bell pepper and cook for another two minutes. Stir in the diced cooked meats, oregano and black pepper, then remove the pan from the heat. Let the filling cool before it touches the dough.

This filling is flexible. You can omit either meat and increase the mushrooms and peppers, but keep the mixture fairly dry; wet sauce or vegetables will soften the cone shells.

Shape the Pizza Cones

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a baking tray and lightly grease metal cream-horn or pizza-cone moulds.
  2. Roll the risen dough to roughly 4 mm thick, then cut it into long strips about 2 cm wide.
  3. Starting at the pointed end, wind one strip around each mould. Overlap the edges slightly so there are no gaps, and pinch the final edge gently into place.
  4. Arrange the wrapped moulds on the tray with the seams facing down.

If you do not own cone moulds, make firm forms from several layers of heavy-duty aluminium foil. Shape them evenly and grease the outside well before wrapping the dough.

Glaze and Bake

Whisk the egg yolk, milk and brewed saffron. Brush a thin, even coat over the exposed dough. Bake for about 18–20 minutes, until the shells are set and lightly golden.

Allow the cones to cool for a few minutes, then twist the moulds gently to release them. Do not pull hard on a hot, soft shell.

Fill and Finish

Put a little cheese in the bottom of each cone, spoon in the mushroom-and-meat filling, and finish with more cheese at the opening. Stand the filled cones securely in a muffin tin or another oven-safe holder so they do not tip.

Return them to the oven for about 8–10 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted. Serve straight away, while the shells are crisp. For a party, bake the empty cones earlier in the day and fill them shortly before serving.

How to Keep the Shape Neat

  • Use soft dough, but stop adding flour as soon as it becomes manageable.
  • Overlap each strip consistently so the filling cannot escape through a seam.
  • Pre-cook moist vegetables and cool the filling before assembling.
  • Bake the shells until set before removing the moulds.
  • Fill close to serving time for the crispest result.