For Dough:

1. Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in center. Sprinkle dry yeast or crumble fresh yeast into well. Pour ½ cup of the lukewarm water over yeast and leave for 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add remaining water, the oil, and salt to well and mix with ingredients in middle of well.

2. Stir in flour and mix thoroughly to obtain a fairly soft dough. If dough is dry, knead in 1 tablespoon water; if dough is very sticky, knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.

3. Knead dough by slapping it vigorously on a lightly floured work surface until dough is very smooth and elastic. Flour work surface occasionally if dough sticks.

4. Transfer dough to a clean bowl and sprinkle it with a little flour. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

5. Punch dough down and knead again briefly on a floured surface until smooth. Return to bowl and cover.

6. Return to warm place and let rise 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled in volume.

7. Shape according to individual recipe.

For filling:

1. Scrape rind off goat cheese with a serrated knife, removing as thin a layer as possible. In a large bowl, crumble or mash goat cheese. Add remaining filling ingredients. Taste for seasoning.

2. Oil 2 baking sheets. Knead dough again briefly and divide into 8 equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into ovals approximately 7½ by 6½ inches.

3. Brush olive oil on dough, leaving ½ inch free at edges. Brush the remaining ½-inch edge with water. Put about 3 heaping tablespoons filling on bottom half of oiled dough and fold top over like a turnover. Press edge with tines of fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet. Brush again with olive oil. Make a slash for a steam vent with serrated knife. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

4. Let rise about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until dough is puffed, golden brown, and firm but not too hard. Serve hot.

Variation

For 1 pound buffalo mozzarella, substitute ½ pound cow’s milk mozzarella and ½ pound Italian Fontina, shredded. You may add to filling 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, chopped, and drained of all excess juice in a strainer.