Great Calzone Simplified

A great pizza is all about the crust - ideally one should be able to hold a slice without it drooping from the weight of the toppings.  A great calzone is about the toppings - or should I say fillings, since a calzone is essentially a stuffed pizza.  So when was the last time you made either?

Most folks don't want to bother with dough, so they rarely make pizza or calzone at home.  If this is you, pick up a few packages of Il Forniao Pizza Dough.  I've been to Il Fornaio bakeries in Italy (there are over 1,000 of them), and their chefs definitely know dough!  We've got their frozen pizza dough at Tony's, its the next best thing to fresh (Note: The homemade pizza dough in the bistro of our Downtown Market is the best I've ever tasted!  We'd be glad to sell you one if you like, pick it up the same day you want to use it.)

Using a couple prepared ingredients, I was able to make both a Combo and a Sicilian Calzone in about an hour - smothered in our meaty Tony's Bolognese Sauce (our Marinara or Vodka Sauces would have been excellent as well) and paired with a salad, it was enough for 8 hungry eaters.  Find the recipes below - and since you don't have to make dough or the sauce, you've got no excuse not to try them this week!

Buon Appetito - Salute!

Combo Calzone 
1 Il Forniao pizza dough, thawed
2 oz Spanish chorizo or Italian pepperoni
4 oz provolone or mozzarella, grated
1 TBS olive oil
4 oz mushroom, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, small bite size cuts
egg wash (1 egg beaten well with 1 tsp water) – optional
one 24 oz jar Tony’s Bolognese Sauce (or Marinara, or Vodka)

Special equipment: A pizza stone and a pizza peel, if available - notes after Sicilian Calzone recipe*

Thaw dough.  Place a pizza stone or heavy sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Sauté onion in olive oil to soften slightly, about 2 minutes, add mushrooms and peppers and continue to cook until about half done, about 5 minutes.  Remove and cool.

Spread dough on a well-floured countertop or board to 12-14 inches.  Spread half with about 1/2 cup of Bolognese and top with vegetable medley, sausage and finally cheese - keeping fillings at least one inch from the edge.

Left: ready to fold.  Right: oven ready with egg wash

Fold dough over to form a half circle.  Using your fingertips, press the overlapped dough together well with your fingertips.  Starting on one end, press the dough together with your fingertips and press with the back edge of a knife to make solid closing indentions (or just close up the edges the best you can).  Before sealing the final 1-inch, press any remaining air out and seal closed.  Cut a couple slashes in the top to vent. Brush with egg wash if a glossy brown finish is desired.

Transfer carefully with a floured pizza peel (or creatively with 1-2 large spatulas or a cookie sheet) and bake on a PREHEATED pizza stone or heavy pan - cooking until nicely browned and bubbling hot - about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce.

Remove and rest 5 minutes on a rack, transfer to a board, cut, plate and smother with heated sauce. Serves 4  - Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com
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Combo Calzone hot from the oven.

Combo Calzone with Tony's Bolognese Sauce

Sicilian Calzone
1 TBS olive oil
1 Italian sausage
1/4 red onion
1/2 bell pepper
4 oz sliced mushroom
6-7 oz ricotta (half of a 15 oz container)
4-5 oz provolone or mozzarella, grated, separated
3 TBS Parmigiano Reggiano or Tony’s Italian Cheese Blend
1 jar Tony’s Bolognese Sauce (or Tony’s Marinara or Vodka Sauce)
egg wash – optional

Special equipment: A pizza stone and a pizza peel, if available - notes below*

Thaw dough.  Place a pizza stone or heavy sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Brown first side of sausage in a 10-inch skillet with 1 TBS oil.  Turn over, cover, reduce heat and continue to cook until just done – about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool and slice.

In the same pan, sauté onion to soften slightly, about 3 minutes, add peppers and mushrooms and continue to cook until about half done – about 5 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and cool.

Blend ricotta with half of the grated provolone and Parmesan cheese.

Flatten dough to 12-14 inches.  Spread one half with the ricotta cheese blend, then 1/2 cup Bolognese, sautéed vegetables, sausage slices and finally the grated cheese - keeping fillings at least one inch from the edge.

Fold dough over to form a half circle.  Using your fingertips, press the overlapped dough together well with your fingertips.  Starting on one end, press the dough together with your fingertips and press with the back edge of a knife to make solid closing indentions (or just close up the edges the best you can).  Before sealing the final 1-inch, press any remaining air out and seal closed.  Cut a couple slashes in the top to vent. Brush with egg wash if a glossy brown finish is desired.

Transfer carefully with a floured pizza peel (or creatively with 1-2 large spatulas or a cookie sheet) and bake on a PREHEATED pizza stone or heavy pan - cooking until nicely browned and bubbling hot - about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce.

Remove and rest 5 minutes on a rack, transfer to a board, cut, plate and smother with heated sauce.  Serves 4  - Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com  --  www.TonyRosacciCatering.com

* Note: If you are a serious pizza lover, a pizza stone and peel will improve your results.  A pizza stone can be made of ceramic or granite and when properly preheated, it creates a great crust.  The pizza peel is the easiest way to get pizza and calzone in and out of the oven.  If not available, floured flat cookie sheets can be used. 

Sicilian Calzone with Tony's Bolognese Sauce

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes, visit www.TonysMarket.com and/or subscribe to Tony’s Culinary Club by clicking here.