Calzone Pizzas
Course: Meats, VegetarianCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings45
minutes15
minutesWhen I was working on my Masters in Boston I took a lot of cooking classes during the week and on weekends. I took a pizza class and learned so much. This calzone recipe is a family and friend well loved recipe. You can be as creative as you like just limit ingredients that are wet because that can make the crust soggy. If you choose you use sauce go light and if you choose to use olives make sure they are drained and patted dry. When I make this, I make it it with roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, smoked turkey, prosciutto and/or salami, spinach, provolone and parmesan. I have made this vegetarian as well and have omitted the meat and roasted eggplant, zucchini and peppers with fontina and parmesan cheese. You can also make individual which I have done when my kids have friends over. This recipe can make 4 individual calzones or one large. The large is great for parties. It is filling so a slice of calzone with a salad is perfect.
Ingredients
5 1/4 cups flour, can use whole wheat or 1/2 and 1/2
2-3 Tablespoons dried herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano
2 packets of Fleishman’s active dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups lukewarm water
- Filling
1/2 lb provolone
1/2 lb fontina
1/2 lb Genoa Salami
3/4 lb smoked or roasted turkey
1 globe Eggplant, sliced thin: place in the oven on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, drizzle with olive oil and dried herbs. Roast until soft and starting to brown
Roasted Red Peppers, in a jar, drained and patted dry or follow the roasting recipe for 3-4 peppers
1-2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons dried herbs mix or sesame seeds to sprinkle over the top before going in the oven.
Directions
- Mix sugar/honey, yeast, and 1/2 cup warm water-leave for 10 minutes-it should get bubbly.
- Add the olive oil and the rest of the warm water, stir well. Add the flour slowly and mix by hand or you can use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, starting off with a paddle attachment then changing to the dough hook. If by hand, knead for 8-10 minutes. If using a mixer, remove dough and finish kneading by hand on a lightly floured surface.
- Lightly oil a metal bowl and place the dough in the middle. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm area. Allow to double in size, about 2 hours.
- When the dough has doubled in size, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead again to remove air bubbles. At this point, you can make 1 large calzone or using a bench scraper, cut the dough in half or fourths.
- At this point you can use the dough or refrigerate it overnight. If refrigerating, the dough will need to rise again before using.
- If using the dough now, roll the dough out in a rectangular shape on a cutting board or on the back of a baking sheet.
- Fill the dough down the middle by stacking the ingredients. Make sure to leave space on all sides to be able to enclose the fillings. Once the calzone is filled, fold in the long sides of the dough. You may need a touch of water or oil to seal it. Fold in the short ends at either end.
- Take a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil and oil it lightly. Place the baking sheet on top of the sealed side of the calzone and using the cutting board to help, flip the calzone onto the prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
- Lightly oil the top of the calzone and make three deep slash marks.
- Place in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Filling the Calzone
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Roll out the dough, Starting with the Provolone, layer and overlap about 3-4 slices, then add the turkey, then add the eggplant, then add the fontina, then peppers, then salami and finish with peppers, spinach, and parmesan cheese. In some cases you may need to repeat all this.
- Fold in one longside then fold in the other to encase the filling. You may need to use water or oil to stick the two sides together. Fold in the 2 shorter sides, tuck them in.
- Taking a baking sheet lined with either parchment or foil that has been lightly oiled, place it on top of the seams of the calzone. Flip it over and the calzone should be on the baking sheet, seams down. Lightly brush the calzone with olive oil and make 3 deep slash marks into the dough, not all the way through. Sprinkle the dough with dried herbs and a touch of salt and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. It should be golden brown and bubbling where the slash marks are. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
- This makes good leftovers as well.
