CALZONES

                

To end “pizza week” I am posting a recipe for you that I know you will enjoy.  A calzone is really just folded pizza and I made it authentically Italian by leaving off the tomato sauce.  Of course you can serve your calzones with any kind of sauce you like, including marinara---so experiment with your dipping sauce as well as  your filling ingredients. Calzones are really fun to make so get those older kids involved---you can pack a lot of nutritious ingredients in the filling!!

Ingredients: for the dough

1 package of  rapid rise yeast

1 t. sugar

1 cup very warm water

*Stir ingredients together and then let yeast sit for at least 10 minutes.

*Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine:

3 cups flour

1 t. salt

¼ cup olive oil

Yeast mixture

Egg wash

 *Beat until a dough ball forms.  If it is too stiff, add a bit of olive oil. 

*Remove dough ball and place it in a stainless steel bowl that has been coated with a bit of olive oil.  Cover and let rise in a warm place** for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until double in size.

**I usually turn the oven on briefly and let it warm up just a bit.  Then I turn it off and put the stainless steel bowl into the warmed oven for the dough to rise.

*If you don’t use rapid rise yeast, punch the dough down and let it rise a second time.  Otherwise proceed with the recipe.

*Make your desired filling.  My recipe follows.

Filling: 

1 to 2 cups Ricotta cheese

2 cups Italian blend cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, etc.)

2 cups spinach, chopped

1 cup quartered grape tomatoes

½ cup fresh basil

1/3 cup chopped sweet onion

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped pepperoni and ham

½ cup chopped mushrooms

Black pepper

Salt

*Mix all ingredients together. 

*Knead the dough on a floured surface for approximately 3 minutes.  Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 6 portions.

*Form each portion into a ball and roll out into a thin circle that is approximately 6 inches in diameter.  You will make about 12 dough circles. 

*Lightly brush egg wash along the bottom edge of each dough circle and place 1/3 cup of filling onto the center of the bottom half of each dough circle.

*Fold the top edge of the dough circle over the filling and align it with the bottom edge of the dough (to complete the pouch)

*Press the edges together and crimp as desired.

*Brush egg wash over the entire top surface of each calzone.

*Using a sharp knife, cut 4 to 6 vents in each calzone.

*Place filled calzones on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment (that has been sprayed with PAM.

*Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until calzones are browned and hot throughout.