King Arthur® Flour’s Calzone
In Italy, in addition to pastry, you’ll find another
kind of edible container for a portable meal. This
one is based on a yeast-raised dough. In fact it’s
really just our Hearth Bread dough in yet another
guise.
Calzone can be had a couple of different ways. One
is simply rolled out like a pizza and then folded
over like a turnover and baked. The older and more
traditional shape is like a jelly roll, or as the
Italian translation of calzone suggests, a pant leg.
This is the version that we’ll give you.
First make up the recipe of Hearth Bread Dough. You
can add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the
dough for flavor and to keep it fresher longer.
Hearth Bread
1
tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
5 1/2 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose
Flour
cornmeal
boiling water
To mix: Mix together the first four
ingredients. Let this stand until the yeast, sugar
and salt are dissolved. Gradually add the flour to
the liquid and mix thoroughly until the dough pulls
away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out
onto a floured surface to knead. (This may be a
little messy, but don't give up!)
Knead It: Fold the far edge of the
dough back over on itself towards you. Press into
the dough with the heels of your hands and push
away. After each push, rotate the dough 90°. Repeat
this process in a rhythmic, rocking motion for 5
minutes, sprinkling only enough flour on your
kneading surface to prevent sticking. Let the dough
rest while you scrape out and grease the mixing
bowl. Knead the dough again for 2 to 3 minutes.
Let It Rise: Return the dough to the
bowl and turn it over once to grease the top. Cover
with a damp towel and keep warm until the dough
doubles in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.
Shape it: Punch down the dough with
your fist and briefly knead out any air bubbles. Cut
the dough in half and shape into two Italian- or
French-style loaves. Place the loaves on a cookie
sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Let the
loaves rest for 5 minutes.
Bake it: Lightly slash the tops of the
loaves 3 or more times diagonally and brush them
with cold water. Place on rack in a cold oven with a
roasting pan full of boiling water on the oven
bottom. Bake at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until
the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the
touch.
For a lighter, crustier bread, let your shaped
loaves rise for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven and
roasting pan with water to 500°F for 15 minutes.
Brush the loaves with cold water, place in the oven
and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to
400°F and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the
oven and let cool.
The Filling*
sauce: marinara, spaghetti, pizza, any
type of pesto, etc.
meat: sliced ham, pepperoni,
prosciutto, salami, smoked turkey, etc.; cooked and
crumbled hamburger, sausage, hot or sweet, etc.,
etc.
cheese, sliced or grated: Provolone,
mozzarella, Parmesan, Gorgonzola, feta, etc.
herbs: minced oregano, basil,
marjoram, thyme, parsley, crushed red pepper, etc.
vegetables, chopped or sautéed:
onions, scallions, hot or sweet peppers, mushrooms,
garlic, shallots, olives, capers, sun-dried
tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach, etc.
Topping
1
egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for wash
poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
*These suggestions will give you a place to start
but plenty of latitude for developing your own
version.
As you can see, the fillings can be almost anything
you want. Just keep the following things in mind as
you put your calzone together.
•
Don’t make the filling too juicy.
•
Use strong flavors; they’ll be moderated by the
calzone crust.
•
Leave enough room around the outside edge of the
dough so you can seal it tightly, and don’t overfill
it or you won’t be able to seal it at all.
Cut your Hearth Bread dough into 2 pieces. Roll out
each piece into a rectangle about 10 x 14 inches.
Spread a layer of sauce on first. Then layer it with
your choice of ingredients.
Starting with the long edge, roll the dough around
the filling jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam and
ends together very tightly and place the roll on a
cornmeal sprinkled baking sheet. Baking parchment
would do well here in case the calzone springs a
leak in spite of your careful engineering.
Cover the calzone with a damp towel or plastic wrap
(grease the underside of it so it won’t stick to the
dough). Let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour.
Fifteen minutes before you want to bake the calzone,
preheat your oven to 450°F. To make the crust
crunchy, preheat a roasting pan on the oven bottom
along with the oven. Just before the calzone goes
in, pour in 3 or 4 cups of water.
Slash the tops of the loaves, brush with the egg
wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
Bake for 15 minutes at 450°F. Turn the heat down to
400°F and continue baking for a further 15 minutes,
or until the crust is golden brown.
To serve, allow the calzone to cool and “set” for 10
or 15 minutes. Then cut in slices.
