Sourdough Calzones Recipes

REAL ITALIAN CALZONES

Steps:

• To Make Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour, until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes, or until almost doubled.
• To Make Filling: While dough is rising, combine the ricotta cheese, Cheddar cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and basil leaves in a large bowl. Mix well, cover bowl and refrigerate to chill.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

SOURDOUGH CALZONES

Steps:

• Filling
• Prepare this at least an hour before the end of the dough's bulk fermentation, so it has time to cool down. You can also prepare the filling a few days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
• In a large frying pan, saute the minced garlic, salt, and spices in the olive oil, then add the spinach and broccoli (chop the broccoli into small pieces if the florets are large). If you're not planning to use a salty cheese and meat (pecorino romano/parmesan and proscuitto), then use more salt in the veggie saute.
• Let cool, then add the cheeses, egg, and chopped prosciutto.
• Mix well, cover, and set aside or refrigerate.
• Marinara
• In a saucepan, saute the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt in olive oil until soft.
• Open the can of whole tomatoes and pour of some of the liquid into the saucepan. Gently place an immersion blender into the can and puree the tomatoes. You can also use a blender or break the tomatoes apart with your hands.
• Add the can of pureed tomatoes to the saucepan and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
• Dough
• In a medium bowl, mix all the dough ingredients together until incorporated. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead just long enough to develop a smooth ball, adding enough flour so that hand-kneading is possible.
• Lightly oil your bowl, return the dough to the bowl, and cover.
• Let ferment 6-10 hours at room temperature, or longer if you put the dough in the refrigerator. The dough should be more than doubled by the end of the bulk fermentation.
• Calzone Assembly (see photo gallery after the recipe)
• Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured countertop. Divide it into 6 pieces weighing approximately 185g each (or 5 pieces of 220g).
• Pre-shape the dough into balls and cover them with a damp tea towel.
• Let the dough rest for 10-20 minutes while you line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 450F.
• Roll a dough ball into a 1/4-inch thick circle.
• Cover half of the circle with filling, leaving an uncovered border for sealing the calzone.
• Fold the dough over the filling to create a half circle and crimp the edges of the calzone shut. Here's a video that shows this same technique on empanadas.
• Transfer the calzone to the parchment lined baking sheet using your bench knife and hands.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough balls and filling.
• Wash the tops of the calzones with a beaten egg, make cuts in the top of the calzones, and sprinkle sesame seeds or grated cheese on top if desired.
• Baking
• Place your baking sheet in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until the calzones are lightly browned and liquid is bubbling through the vents in the dough.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack about 10 minutes before serving.
• Storage and Reheating
• When cool, wrap and refrigerate. You can reheat the calzones in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes.