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Prosciutto and Ricotta Calzone
 
How to Bake: The Complete Guide to Perfect Cakes,
Cookies, Pies, Tarts, Breads, Pizzas, Muffins, Sweet and Savory
© Nick Malgieri, 1995, HarperCollins
One
12-inch calzone, enough for 2 servings
Dough
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup warm tap water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
Filling
1 cup whole-milk or part-skim ricotta
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup coarsely grated mozzarella
4 ounces thinly sliced and shredded prosciutto, or skinned and
diced dried sausage, or a combination
One
12-inch round pizza pan, cookie sheet, or jelly-roll pan, oiled
“A calzone (literally ‘trouser leg’) is a turnover made from pizza dough,
usually filled with cured meats, cheeses, and often herbs. So that the
flavors and textures
of the dough and the filling may be appreciated, the calzone should not be
overstuffed. A calzone is delicious served hot or at room temperature, which
makes
it a practical picnic food.
This may be made as individual calzone – see the variation at the end of the
recipe.”
1. For the dough, in a 2-quart mixing bowl, stir the flour
and salt well to combine; make a well in the center. Measure the water and
pour it into a
small bowl. Whisk in the yeast, then 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir the
liquid mixture into the well in the flour and stir with a rubber spatula to
form a
soft, sticky dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, Knead the dough gently,
folding it over on itself. If it is very sticky, scrape it off the surface
with a spatula or plastic scraper. Avoid adding more flour or it will
produce a tough dough. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth
and only
slightly sticky.
3. Rinse and dry the bowl and spread 1 tablespoon of the oil all around the
inside. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Turn the ball of
dough upside down so that the top surface is oiled, and cover the bowl with
plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in
bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
5. To make the filling, place the ricotta in a mixing bowl and stir in the
other ingredients in the order listed. Taste the mixture, and if it seems
excessively bland, stir in a few pinches of salt; not too much – the sausage
or prosciutto
is salty.
6. To shape the calzone, generously flour the work surface and scrape the
risen dough from the bowl, in one piece, onto the work surface. Fold the
dough over on itself from the outside edge inward, all around, to form an
even ball of dough, cover the dough with a towel and allow it to rest on the
work surface for 5 minutes. Flour the dough and press it with the palms of
your hands so it forms an even disk. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough
until it is about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Add
pinches of flour to the work surface and the dough as necessary to keep it
from sticking to the surface or the rolling pin.
7. Fold the disk in half, transfer it to the pan, and arrange the folded
piece of dough in the position in which it will bake on the pan. Unfold the
dough and spread the filling over half of it, leaving about an inch of
uncovered dough around the edges. Paint the dough border around the filling
with water and refold the unfilled dough over it. Press the edges together
very firmly to seal and slash the top of the calzone in several places to
allow steam to escape during baking.
8. Bake the calzone for about 30 minutes, until the dough is baked through
and has turned a deep golden color.
Serving: Cut the calzone into two or more pieces and serve
immediately. Or allow the calzone to cool and serve at room temperature.
Storage: Wrap any leftover calzone in plastic or foil and
refrigerate. Allow to come to room temperature or rewarm in a 375-degree
oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Hints for Success: If the dough resists being rolled, cover it with a
piece of plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before you
continue.
Seal the open edges of the calzone carefully, by making lots of small,
overlapping folds around the edge.
Variations:
For spinach and ricotta calzone, add 3/4 cup cooked, drained, chopped
spinach to the filling. Omit the sausage and/or prosciutto if you wish,
though I like those rich flavors with the spinach.
Substitute boiled ham and Gruyère cheese for the prosciutto and mozzarella.
Also, you can substitute 1/2 pound cooked, cooled, and crumbled sweet
Italian sausage for the dried sausage/prosciutto.
Individual Sausage and Pepper Calzoni
A double batch of calzone dough, above (do not increase
yeast)
Filling
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, with or without fennel seeds
2 small (about 4 ounces each) red or green bell peppers, halved,
seeded, and sliced thin
1 medium (about 6 ounces) onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) coarsely grated mozzarella (optional)
1. To make the filling, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in
a sauté pan over a medium flame and cook the sausage until it begins to
sizzle. Lower the heat and continue cooking, turning the sausage
occasionally, until it has cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove to a
plate to cool. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the accumulated fat from the
pan and add the peppers, onion and garlic. Add the salt, pepper, and
optional hot pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, until
the vegetables wilt and are just beginning to color. Cool the vegetable
mixture, slice the cooled sausages, and stir them in.
2. To shape the calzoni, flour the work surface and turn the risen dough out
onto it in one piece. Fold the dough over on itself from the outside edge
inward, all around, to form an even ball. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces
and fold each piece of dough inward again to make 4 balls. Cover the pieces
of dough with a towel and allow them to rest on the work surface for 5
minutes.
3. Flour each piece, then press them, one at a time, with the palms of your
hands to form even disks. Use a rolling pin to roll the disks of dough out,
one at a time, until each is about 8 or 9 inches in diameter and about 1/8
inch thick. Add pinches of flour to the work surface and the dough as
necessary
to keep it from sticking to the surface or the rolling pin.
4. Fold the disks in half and transfer them to the pans, arranging the
folded pieces of dough in the position in which they will bake on the pans.
Unfold
the disks of dough and spread a quarter of the filling over half of
each of the disks on the pans. Leave a 1-inch border of dough around the
edges of the filling. Sprinkle the filling with the optional mozzarella.
Paint the uncovered borders with water and refold the unfilled dough over
it. Press the edges together very firmly to seal and slash the top of the
calzoni in several places
to allow steam to escape during baking.
5. Bake as above.
Featured Archive Recipes:
Calzoni, Four-Cheese Vegetable
Pizza Plenty
Chicago-Style Deep Dish Sausage Pizza
The Great
White Pizza
Do-It-Yourself Pizza
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