calzones

Did you leave your house in the wee hours of the morning to brave Black Friday? I did. Boy, was I glad to come back home and enjoy these tasty treats.

ingredients

4 cups high gluten flour

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

1 tablespoon garlic salt (I used a roasted gray salt that was infused with dried bits of garlic, kind of like this.)

2 teaspoon basil

2 teaspoon rosemary

1½ cups lukewarm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

preparation

1. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in your stand mixer bowl, pour in the yeast mixture, and “stir” until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Increase the stand mixer speed to 2 and knead until a smooth and cohesive dough forms. If your dough seems dry, slowly add 1 tablespoon of water, waiting until the water is absorbed before adding more.  

4. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

5. Turn the dough out onto your counter top and divide it in half.  Now the fun begins. 

6a. To make calzones, lightly dust your counter top with semolina flour or cornmeal and turn the dough out onto your counter top.

6b. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle and generously spread your filling over the left side of the dough. For my calzones, I used meatballs, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and roma tomatoes. While the dough going through the first proof, I roasted the filling ingredients together over medium heat to cook out some of the water because no one wants a soggy bottom or worse yet, burned bread.

6c. Form a jelly roll, by rolling the rectangle together from the long side and cut it into 8 pieces. 

6d. Place the pinwheels in a parchment lined baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to double in size, about 1 hour.

6e. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.

7a. To make a pizza, lightly dust your counter top with semolina flour or corn meal and turn the dough out onto your counter top.

7b. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 20 minutes.

7c. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

7d. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes, until slightly browned but still pale.

7e. Remove the pizza from the oven and generously spread your filling evenly over the crust, taking care not include the liquid. For my pizza, I roasted salmon, asparagus, mushrooms, and roma tomatoes. I also sprinkled some gorgonzola on top.

7f. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 more minutes. 

Original recipes found here and here.