Stromboli and Calzone
November 2nd, 2022
This Recipe creates 8 servings
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Strombolis and Calzones, for the uninitiated, are like a pizza, that is wrapped up like a burrito. Calzone purists claim that a Calzone should be made without sauce as an ingredient. Instead, the sauce is served on the side. In my opinion, a sauce-free Calzone is unecesarily dry, even with the inclusion of a marinara dipping sauce. Additionally, the Calzone is typically folded over, while a Stromboli is rolled up. This recipe includes sauce as an ingredient. Similar to pizza, the possible options for filling your Calzone is endless. You should note that the order that toppings go onto the Calzone is different from a pizza. Start with cheese, then add sauce, then a layer of meat and/or vegetables, and finally top it all off with the seasonings.
Ingredients:
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New York Style Pizza Dough
Olive Oil Spray
1 Egg White
Sesame Seeds
The Sauce
Marinara Pizza Sauce, Pesto Sauce, Alfredo Sauce, or any other sauce that you might use on a pizza
Cheese
8 Ounces Ricotta
8 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese
Or other cheese mixtures
The Filling
Select one or two meats: Pepperoni, Salami, Ground Sausage, BBQ Chicken, Ground Beef, etc.
Select vegetables: Red Onion, thinly sliced, then chopped; Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced, then chopped; Green Bell Pepper, thinly sliced, then chopped; sliced mushrooms
Additional ingredients: Quartered Artichokes, Baby Spinach Leaves, Feta Cheese, what ever you want to include
Seasonings
Garlic Powder, Dried Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, etc.
Directions:
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The Dough
Separate the Dough into 8 equally-sized Dough Balls.
Roll and/or stretch each Dough Ball into a large sheet, 8 inches x 12 inches.
Spray each Dough Sheet lightly with Olive Oil. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out.
Put the Dough someplace someplace warm for half an hour.
Preparing the Filling
Remove the plasic sheet from one piece of Dough.
Place about a Tablespoon of Ricotta Cheese in the center.
Use a butter knife or the back of the spoon to spread the Ricotta Cheese across the whole surface. Ensure that you leave a 1/2 inch border around the edges.
Sprinkle a handful of Shredded Mozzarella across the Ricotta spread.
Add a small scoop of Marinara Sauce. Spread it across the dough, still leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges.
Cover half of the Calzone with a layer of Meat Slices.
Sprinkle the same half with diced Vegetables and any Seasonings.
Carefully fold over the Dough into a Calzone.
Pinch the edges together, sealing the contents inside.
Center the Calzone on the parchment paper.
Use a sharp knife and make 2 or 3 slices across the top to allow speam to escape while cooking.
Spray with a small amount of Olive Oil and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out.
Place the Dough in a warm place.
Repeat to contruct each of the remaining Calzones.
The Bake
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Place a pan of water on the bottom of the oven.
Remove the plastic wrap from each Calzone.
Paint with a thin layer of Egg White.
Sprinkle each Calzone with Sesame Seeds.
Arrange the Calzones on a large oven sheet pan so that they are not touching each other.
Bake for 15 minutes at 450° F.
Rotate each sheet pan in the oven to ensure more even cooking.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400° F.
Bake for another 15 minutes at 400° F.
Remove the Calzones from the oven and rest for 10 minutes so that cheese can cool to a temperature that is safe to eat.
Serve with a side of Marinara Pizza Sauce for dipping.
