Tell me the truth, do my calzones look depressed to you? It’s ok, you can say it. Well, here’s the thing. They don’t look like much. Just little crescents of baked dough. So to make them look interesting, I employed some mood lighting. And now I think they just look depressed. Maybe the winter is getting to them. Or maybe it’s just getting to me, in a “every picture is a self-portrait kind of way”. Maybe my little pizza rolls and I should hop on a plane to Florida.
So, I know, they don’t look like much. But much like that friend of yours that never gets bought a drink in a bar, these little balls of dough have a lot to offer beneath the surface. Like 3 kinds of cheese. And pepperoni. My analogy has fallen apart here, but you get the point. Give them a chance. Have dinner with them and see if you don’t want to see them again. You might find yourself waking up to breakfast with them.
mini calzones
ingredients for pizza dough:
- 2 & 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 oz. (1/8 c.) olive oil
- 2 & 1/2 c. unbleached flour or bread flour, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 tbl. kosher salt
- 1 egg yolk(for egg wash)
ingredients for filling:
- about 1 doz. pepperoni slices, cut in half
- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
- 1/2 c. ricotta
- 2 c. mozzarella or pizza blend cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
ingredients for pizza sauce(for dipping):
adapted from serious eats
- 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbl. olive oil
- 1 tbl. unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 1 tsp. sugar
- kosher salt
To make the dough, Heat 1 & 1/2 cups of water to 105-110°. Pour into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top, then the sugar. Stir gently. The sugar feeds your yeast, so don’t skip it.
When yeast has risen(about 5-10 minutes) and become foamy, add the flour, olive oil and salt to the bowl. Using a dough hook, mix dough for about 5 minutes until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if necessary. Spray a bowl at least twice the size of your dough with nonstick cooking spray. Turn out dough into bowl. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with the nonstick spray, then cover the top of the dough. Let rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Make your pizza sauce about 2 hours before you are ready to make your calzones. Put oil and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Once butter is melted, add garlic, basil, oregano and pepper flakes and saute gently to cook the garlic, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, onion(whole, not chopped!) sugar and salt to taste. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat until sauce is barely simmering. Let cook for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
When dough is almost ready, make your filling. Combine all the ingredients except pepperoni in a bowl and let sit at room temperature for a little while. This will make it easier to spread. Make your egg wash by combing 1 egg yolk with 1 tbl. of water and stir briskly with a fork. Preheat your oven to 400° with your pizza stone on the middle rack. If you’re using a baking sheet, spray with nonstick spray and coat with a light dusting of flour. Don’t preheat the baking sheet.
Break dough into ping-pong ball sized pieces(mine weighed .7 oz each). Roll into small disks on a well floured surface. Put 1/4 tsp filling on half the disk, leaving the edges clear. Place pepperoni on top, then put another 1/4 tsp. of filling on top. Use the tip of your finger to put egg wash on the edge of the calzone. Fold dough over, and use the tines of a fork to press closed. When you have made all your calzones,use a pastry brush to brush tops of them with the egg wash. Slice a few slits into the tops of calzones to let steam escape. Place on the pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes or until they turn a light golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve with your pizza sauce.