Calzones

The Spare had a couple of friends over this weekend and asked to have calzones for dinner.  Good choice – yummy and versatile and not too much fuss. 

The scheme is pretty simple:  a ricotta/mozzarella base plus a handful of pizza toppings, wrapped in dough and baked for half an hour.  Pizza sauce is served on the (out)side.  (If I were a good mother, I would make the sauce from scratch.  I’m not.  We like the Contadina brand.)

My recipe makes two big calzones (half of one is very generous for an adult or The Heir, who has the metabolism of a hummingbird) but to be safe, I doubled.  Turned out to be a good thing.

To keep the cheese from leaking out while it bakes, once I’ve rolled the dough into a circle and spread the filling on half of it, before I fold the top over and pinch everything closed, I turn the edges in about ½” all the way around, then moisten with water.  This makes a thicker edge but a better seal and the crust is pretty good eating so no one complains.

Last night the girls opted for pepperoni; the rest of us added Italian sausage, mushrooms, and pepperoncini.  Some day when the kids are tired of pepperoni I would like to try these with chicken, spinach and feta; or buffalo chicken, bleu cheese, sweet onions and red pepper. 

Calzones

Dough:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cups warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 rounded teaspoons pizza dough flavoring (from King Arthur Flour - optional)

1 beaten egg (for egg wash)

Filling:

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella or Pizza Blend

¼ cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup (more or less) optional ingredients (diced pepperoni, cooked & crumbled Italian sausage, chopped canned mushrooms, sliced pepperoncini, sliced red onion, diced green pepper, black olives… whatever blows your skirt up)

Pizza sauce, warmed

For the dough:  In a mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in water.  Add oil, sugar, salt, 1 cup flour and dough flavoring.  Beat with the flat paddle of the mixer for a couple of minutes, then switch to the dough hook and work in the rest of the flour.  Knead until smooth.  Turn dough out into lightly oiled bowl, flip, cover and let rise until almost doubled.

For the filling:  While dough is rising, combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

To assemble:  Punch down the dough and divide into two equal parts.  Roll each out into a thin 10-12” circle on a lightly floured surface.  (If dough is too springy, cover lightly and let rest for five or ten minutes.)  Spread ½ of each dough circle with ½ of the filling, pressing down to compact.  Fold the remaining dough over the filling and seal the edges.  Brush with beaten egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (a half sheet pan comfortably fits both calzones).

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Let stand for five minutes or so before cutting into wedges.  Serve hot with pizza sauce on the side.