How To: Calzones

How To: Calzones

Dough

• Make this pizza dough, rest, and divide into 4 pieces

Sauce

• Make this red sauce with canned tomato sauce

• OR this red sauce with fresh tomatoes

• OR this creamy garlic sauce

Toppings

Use any of the following toppings, customizing to your preferences:

• Cheese, mozzarella or Italian blend recommended

• Meats:

  • Pepperoni

  • Canadian bacon

  • Chicken

  • Ham

  • Sausage

  • Ground Beef

• Black olives, sliced

• Mushrooms, sliced

• Pineapple, sliced

• Onions, diced

• Peppers, diced

• Tomatoes, diced

• Fresh basil leaves

Pans

Calzones cook at ~425F, so whatever pan you choose, ensure that it can handle hot heat. Select one:

• Cast iron (15” round skillet, size varies): able to withstand the high heat and creates a crust that almost tastes deep fried. Preheat cast iron while preparing calzone.

• Sheet pan (18” x 13”): generally works similar to the cast iron but doesn’t create quite the same crispness in the crust.

• Ceramic pizza stone + pizza peel: place stone in the oven during preheat and build the calzone, then transfer prepared calzone to hot stone. Popular as the hot stone generally guarantees a crisp, bubbly crust.

• Steel pizza stone + pizza peel: suggested use & results are similar to the ceramic stone.

Methodology

Build on a silicone mat for easy transfer

1. Prepare dough, sauce & toppings

2. Select pan and put in oven, turn oven to 425F to preheat

3. Roll out one piece of dough, using a rolling pin or stretch & press into a 9” circle with fingertips

   • Remember the dough was divided in 4 pieces (above)

4. Note: for a calzone, the toppings are put on half the circle and then the circle is folded over the toppings and the edge is sealed

5. Spoon sauce over 1/2 of circle, creating a thin layer not quite to the edge

6. Cover with toppings

7. Fold undressed half of dough over toppings, creating a half-moon shape

8. Crimp edges -

   • stretch the bottom layer up & over the top all around the half-moon

   • using fingertips, press the layers firmly together

9. Brush egg whites over top, sprinkle with oregano or garlic salt

10. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape during baking

11. Transfer calzone to the hot pan in oven:

    1. Open oven, using a hot pad, pull oven rack containing hot stone out to the catch (~halfway)

    2. Optional step to make it easier to remove baked calzone: if cooking on . . .

       • cast iron or sheet pan: add ~1 tsp oil to the pan

       • ceramic or steel stone: sprinkle stone lightly with cornmeal

    3. Quickly lift the calzone from silicone mat and transfer to the hot pan

    4. Using a hot pad, push the oven rack back into place within the oven and close the door

12. Bake 14-20 minutes, until golden brown, remove calzone with a pizza peel or a spatula

Serve hot.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 calzones

• Build 1, or 2, or even all 4 calzones at once:

  • 4 calzones will fit on the sheet pan

  • 2 calzones will fit on a 15” cast iron

  • 2 calzones will fit on either of the stones

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Window to B’s kitchen…

Pizza Dough

This recipe can be done by hand but it turns out even better using a bread maker. 

Use this Pizza Dough to make Pizza, Stromboli, or Calzones.

Pairs great with Brenda’s Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce or Red Pizza Sauce.

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Pizza Dough

To the bowl of a bread maker, add (in order):

1 1/2 cup (12 oz) warm water

1/8 cup dry milk powder

3 tsp sugar

2 tsp yeast

3 3/4 cup (19 oz) flour

1 tsp salt 

2 Tbsp oil

Set bread maker to “dough” setting and select start. The machine will complete mixing, kneading and rising cycles. Remove dough from machine and divide dough to make pizza, Stromboli, or calzones.

Alternate directions if no bread maker:

Add ingredients to the mixing bowl in the order listed above. Mix the ingredients with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then use one hand to knead. Set aside to rest 45 min. Remove from bowl and divide dough to make pizza, Stromboli, or calzones.

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Brenda’s Tips:

• Serving size:

  • Pizza: makes two, 15” round OR two, 10” x 15” sheet pans

  • Stromboli: makes five, about 8” squares (before folding)

  • Calzones: makes four, about 9” circles (before folding)

  • Breadsticks: makes a lot (one or two sheet pans, depending how you roll it), or make less of any of the above and turn remainder into breadsticks.