I planned on doing a no meat week, but that didn't work out. I watched Food Network and got the urge to cook. I've been saying I wanted to make calzones for weeks, but just haven't gotten around to it. Well tonight I had time, and they turned out really good.
Calzones:
Serves 4
Start off with your crust, if you would rather do store bought pie crust to save time be my guest, I just keep the stuff on hand to do a whole wheat pizza crust so I saved a few bucks and went with it.
Pizza Dough:
To make 12 ounces dough:
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 package quick-rising yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann's RapidRise
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2-2/3 cup hot water, (120-130°F)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
- Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.
Filling:
1/2 medium onion
1 small bell pepper
6oz Canadian bacon
Small bag of finely shredded Mozzarella cheese
While waiting on the dough to rise dice half a medium onion and a small pepper, and Canadian bacon. Saute in a skillet until onions and peppers are softened. Set aside/
After dough as risen cut into four even pieces and roll out into a thin round shape.
Spoon onion, pepper, and bacon mixture evenly onto pizza dough. Top with cheese.
Brush egg wash (1 egg beaten, and water) along edges of half the dough. Fold over into a crescent shape.
Use fork to seal edges. Had I thought ahead I would have done this on my pizza stone and not on the counter. If you do as I did and your calzones get stuck to the counter simply use a spatula to pick them up and transfer to your pizza stone without tearing a whole in them.
After your calzones are transferred to your pizza stone use a fork to poke a few holes in the top to allow steam to escape while baking.
Next use your remaining egg wash and brush the outside of your calzones. This will give them a golden brown sheen while baking.
Sprinkle top with salt, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese. And bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.
Depending on how your oven cooks they may take up to 15 minutes. I have a gas oven and it cooks pretty quick.
Now if you are from North Louisiana you will know what I am talking about. We are Johnny's Pizza people and have to have nacho cheese sauce and marinara sauce to dip our pizza in. The first time my Mom suggested nacho cheese sauce I thought she was nuts, but after dating Jeremy for awhile it became a staple.
While cooking the dogs stood in the kitchen and watched very intently, kind of made me feel like an episode of Paula's Home Cooking considering her old lab is always in the kitchen. Needless to say this continued until we were eating, I thought I could throw them off by giving them a beef stick. Maddie took her and ran off. Ellie looked at it and then looked at me like "That isn't what you were cooking!"
Maddie then ran over and stole Ellie's. She didn't budge, and honestly I haven't heard her in a little while so it is safe to assume she is still in the kitchen waiting to get her calzone. Greedy daschund.
Oh and please ignore the ugly floor, I can't wait to buy a house and stop renting. All of the rent houses here appear to have not been updated since 1991.
