Calzone

Roll out pizza dough balls to about 9-inch rounds. Place fillings over half of each round. Fold plain dough half over filling, forming half circles. Pinch edges together to seal. Transfer to baking sheet. Cut 3 slits in top to let steam escape. Bake until golden brown at 375 degrees F., about 15 minutes. Calzones take longer to cook than pizza and require a lower temperature in order to crisp the crust and to penetrate the filling. To serve, allow the calzone to cool and "set" for 10 or 15 minutes.

Some Tips

When it comes to calzone production, small is beautiful. Large calzones are difficult to handle, they can leak in the oven and often burn on the outside before the filling is cooked inside. Smaller 8- to 12-inch calzones work best in any type of oven. They generally take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook at 400 F and don't take that much longer to put together than a pizza.

Most calzones are made in the traditional half-moon shape that is achieved by rolling or pressing out the dough ball into a circle. The filling is mounded into the bottom half of the circle and the top part is folded over and crimped by hand or with a fork.

Dough
Try not to roll or sheet the dough out less than one quarter of an inch thick and make sure the dough is even -- thin spots can lead to messy oven leaks. To seal the edges of the calzone, use the tines of a fork or crimp the edges together as you would for a pie crust and trim any excess dough off with a pizza cutter. Some operators like to brush the tops of their calzones with an egg white wash to make them shiny, while other operators prefer to brush lightly with olive oil before baking. Olive oil promotes browning and crispiness. When the calzone comes out of the oven, the top should be lightly brushed with olive oil again. This will add sheen and flavor to the crust.

Cheeses
Ricotta is the most traditional and popular base filling for calzones. Thick, creamy ricotta that contains less moisture works best. When working with softer, wetter ricotta, try making a calzone base to which eggs are added. Not only will the filling taste better, but it will not ooze out and won't make the calzone as soggy. The best formula calls for one whole egg per quart of ricotta. Additional seasonings like Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper make a wonderful calzone base, which can also double as a pasta and lasagna filling. If using mozzarella or provolone, shredded or diced works best in fillings. Grated cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano help create a depth of flavor to your calzone cheese base blend.

Fillings
Par-cooked fillings work best, because it generally takes too much time for heat to penetrate and cook them from the raw state. Meat fillings like sausage, bacon, chicken or ground beef should all be cooked through before using in a filling. Larger items like meatballs and sausage should be broken up, ham should be sliced thin, chicken works best diced, and pepperoni and salami work fine sliced. Vegetables should also be pre-cooked and cut into smaller pieces. If you want to add sauce to the filling, keep it to a minimum.

Putting it all together

Roll out a small dough ball (about 8 ounces) into a round of one quarter inch thickness.

Place a small handful of mozzarella on the lower half and about three quarters of a cup of filling, or combination of filling. For three fillings, use 1/4 cup each.

Mound 1/2 to 1 cup of ricotta over all. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of Parmesan cheese (unless those seasonings are already present in your ricotta base).

Fold the top half of the dough over the bottom and crimp the edges together. Carefully shift the calzone onto a peel and lightly brush the top with olive oil.

Allow to bake in a 400 F oven (at least 15 minutes) until golden brown.

Remove the calzone from the oven, lightly brush with some more olive oil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with a side of warm marinara sauce.

For more filling ideas, see below.

Calzone with Cheese, Sausage, and Roasted Red Pepper
1 large red bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds red onions, sliced
4 sweet or spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
3 cups (packed) coarsely grated mozzarella (about 12 ounces)
12 ounces ricotta
4 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Char bell pepper over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and slice pepper. Alternatively, use jarred roasted pepper.

In heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add red onions; saute until brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside. In heavy medium skillet over medium heat, saute sausage until cooked through, breaking into 1/2-inch pieces with spoon, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Mix both cheeses and oregano in bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste.

If making 4 calzones, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture on half of each round of uncooked calzone dough, leaving 3/4-inch border. Cover cheese on each with 1/4 of onions, 1/4 cup cheese mixture, 1/4 of sausage, 1/4 cup cheese mixture, then 1/4 of bell peppers. Fold plain dough halves over filling, forming half circles. Pinch edges of dough firmly together to seal.

Three-cheese Spinach Calzones:
2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or fresh blanched spinach)
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese (about 4 ounces)
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina (about 8 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix spinach, onions, ricotta, Gorgonzola, and Fontina in medium bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Other Filling Ideas

Traditional Mozzarella Cheese & Pepperoni

Ham & Cheese

Broccoli & Cheese

Cheese & Italian Meats

Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Tomato, Broccoli Rabe

Spinach-Ricotta - Sautéed onion and garlic, wilted spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, and tomato sauce. If you eat meat, a handful of diced sausage is never amiss in this one.

Pulled Pork or Chicken - A good scoop of the pulled meat along with a little extra barbecue sauce and a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese.

Mixed Grill - Leftover grilled steak chopped up with leftover grilled veggies and a handful of whatever cheese is in the fridge. I usually don't put a sauce with this one.

Steak Pockets - Along the same lines, chopped bits of steak with roasted red peppers and goat cheese.

Wilted Greens - A whole mess of greens (kale, chard, beet greens, whatever hasn't been used up), wilted with garlic and red pepper flakes. A little ricotta or monterey jack helps balance out all that healthiness!

Philadelphia Cheesesteak