Chelsea was with us this weekened so I thought I'd give some calzones another shot. I made them a couple months ago using Foodman's recipe from Egullet. I remembered reading an article in Cook's Illustrated about calzones and I thought I'd give their recipe a try. We also picked up some chicken garlic sausage and fresh mozzarella at Trader Joe's in Ann Arbor. THESE ROCKED!!
Danielle, you must try them. The dough came together really fast in the KA and was ready in 1 hr. I deviated from the recipe slightly by using some fresh spinach in the filling. CI is very fiddly with all their steps, but I think that's why they tasted so good. Chelsea and I made some really good marinara this morning using a can of san marzano tomatoes. I love San Marzano's. I wish I had cases growing in my backyard because I love them that much. I picked up this large can at Whole Food's for 2.69. We sauteed a chopped onion, 3 cloves of crushed garlic in some evoo. We added some oregano and then the tomatoes. We also threw in a rind of reggiano for added flavor, then we let it simmer for about an hour. I used my new to me( picked up at the salvation army for 3.29) braun immersion blender and gave it a whirl. We let it simmer for a few more hours and I took a nap. Chelsea was very good about stiring the sauce every 15 minutes. LOL. The sauce rocked, and so did the calzones. I just can't recommend this recipe enough. Make it, you wont be sorry.
To make this recipe, you will need a standing mixer or food processor, parchment paper, and a pizza stone. The stone must heat for an additional 30 minutes once the oven has come up to temperature; if your oven heats slowly, begin heating it about an hour into the dough’s first rise. Leftover calzones must be refrigerated; to reheat, heat the oven with the pizza stone just as you did when making the recipe, then set the calzones on the hot pizza stone for about 10 minutes. A simple tomato sauce is a nice accompaniment to the calzones.
Makes six 9 by 4-Inch Calzones
Dough
4 cups bread flour (22 ounces) plus additional for dusting work surface
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope)
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups water plus 1 tablespoon (12 1/2 ounces), 105 degrees
Filling
3 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 ounces whole-milk ricotta (1 container)
8 ounces shredded fresh mozzarella (2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil for brushing shaped calzones
kosher salt for sprinkling
Bread Italian Vegetarian
See Illustrations Below: Making Calzones
1. FOR THE DOUGH (see below for food processor method): In bowl of standing mixer, whisk flour, yeast, and salt to combine. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer; with mixer running at medium-low speed, add olive oil, then gradually add water; continue to mix until mixture comes together and smooth, elastic dough forms, about 10 minutes. Lightly spray large bowl with nonstick cooking spray; form dough into ball, transfer it to bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, and let rise in warm spot until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. FOR THE FILLING: While dough rises, stir together garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and sizzling and mixture registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool until warm, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. In medium bowl, stir together cheeses, egg yolk, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cooled -garlic-pepper oil until combined; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
4. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, set pizza stone on oven rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spray parchment lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Turn risen dough out onto unfloured work surface. Divide dough in half, then cut each half into thirds. Gently reshape each piece of dough into ball. Transfer to baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let dough rest at least 15 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.
5. Cut eight 9-inch squares of parchment paper. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping other pieces covered, follow illustration 1 to roll dough into 9-inch round. Set round onto parchment square and cover with another parchment square; roll out another dough ball, set dough round on top of first, and cover with parchment square. Repeat to form stack of 3 rounds, covering top round with parchment square. Form second stack of 3 with remaining dough balls and parchment squares.
6. Remove top parchment square from first stack of dough rounds and place rounds with parchment beneath on work surface; if dough rounds have shrunk, gently and evenly roll out again to 9-inch rounds. Following illustrations 2 through 6, form calzones. With pastry brush, brush tops and sides of calzones with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt. Trim excess parchment paper; slide calzones on parchment onto pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, then slide calzones with parchment onto hot pizza stone, evenly spacing them apart. Bake until golden brown, about 11 minutes; use pizza peel or rimless baking sheet to remove calzones with parchment to wire rack. Remove parchment, cool 5 minutes, and serve. While first batch bakes, form second batch and bake after removing first batch.
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: Made in an 11-cup cup food processor, the dough bakes up with slightly less chew than we like.
Alternative Step 1: Pulse flour, yeast, and salt to combine, about five 1-second pulses. While pulsing, add olive oil through feed tube, then gradually add water; continue pulsing until dough forms ball, then process until smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead by hand a few turns to form smooth, round ball. Transfer dough to oiled bowl and proceed from step 2.
