Monday 17 March 2008

Calzone

It's St Patricks Day and the food blog world has turned green, no matter where people are from they're making green eats and treats, "Irish" themed dinners and all sorts. Me on the other hand, I made Italian.

Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook are hosting a great food event called Festa Italiana where we were encouraged to cook some Italian food.

I decided to try something new but also something I knew I loved and had a feeling would be something Rob would love too: calzone (a folded pizza).

I know I've made pizza dough before, but we had recently been given Jamie at Home and he had a recipe for pizza dough and even a great recipe for some tasty tomato sauce so it seemed fitting to give these recipes a go and try a different dough for fun.

I had a few problems with the dough rising according to Jamie's instructions so I stole ideas from the last Daring Bakers challenge (French bread) and instead of draping a damp teatowel over the bowl during the rise I put cling film over the top and a dry towel over the top of that.



Pizza dough

Makes 3-4 medium sized thin pizza bases or 2 calzones

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour
1/2 tbsp fine sea salt
7g sachet of dried yeast
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp EVOO
325 ml lukewarm water

Recipe
1. Sieve the flour and salt together into a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour.
2. In a jug mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave to sit for a few minutes, then pour into the well.
3. Gradually mix the flour into the liquid to make the dough. When it has all come together place on a floured surface and knead until smooth and springy.
4. Place the ball of dough into a floured bowl and flour the top of it. Cover the bowl in cling film and drape a dry teatowel over the top. Set aside in a warm room for about an hour until it doubles in size.
5. Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead it around, pushing the air out of it.

You can either use it straight away or else store it wrapped in cling film in the fridge (or even freezer). I split the dough into 2 and made the round bases, and stored them stacked on a tray in the fridge with layers of oiled and floured tin foil between each base.

Tomato sauce

Makes 500ml of sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
3 x 400g tins of whole plum tomatoes
salt and pepper

Recipe
1. Place the oil in a pan and turn the heat on.
2. Add the garlic, once it starts to brown add the basil and tomato (make sure you squash the tomatoes in the pan to get the juices out and make the sauce more tomatoey)
3. Season with salt and pepper, then leave to come to the boil.
4. Strain the sauce through a through a coarse sieve or colander and into a bowl.
5. The garlic and basil can be disposed of, make sure you push as much of the sauce through as possible.
6. Add the sieved sauce back to the pan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

This gives plenty of sauce that can be used for all sorts of things including pizza sauce - I'll be using the rest to make some bolognese later this week

For making the calzone I didn't want to just make a different dough and make the sauce, I also wanted to use ingredients that I hadn't used before, so I used a mozzarella ball, bought a mix of mushrooms including shitake (which I'd never used) and some pancetta. Rob just wanted his regular pizza toppings (chicken and bacon) but also asked for some red pepper! I was in shock, he's asking for veg now!!!! Long may it last.

Calzone

Recipe

1. Heat your oven to maximum (about 240˚C on my oven).
2. Lay your pizza base out and dress like you would for a pizza.
3. Fold over the pizza and seal the edges by creating pleats.
4. Place on a tray and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

As easy as that!!!! And even more delicious!

16 comments:

  1. You did a great job, Ruth. Everyone will enjoy this recipe :)
    Thanks for joining our festa.

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  2. Calzone is always a winner, thanks for bringing this dish to our Festa Italiana!

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  3. That's one of the best calzone's I've ever seen!

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  4. This looks gorgeous Ruth. I need to make a Calzone for my hubby, we do pizza a lot, but he loves an oul calzone!

    Did you like Jamie at Home? I actually got it from the library and just read through it this morning. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the recipes... seemed to be reaching a bit!? I LOVED the gardening advice though. Am trying to grow some veg this year, so that was good. Anyhoo... would love to hear your thoughts!

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  5. Yummy! I love calzones!

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  6. Oh Just delicious. Wow the one which you have opened up looks so mouthwattering.
    I can feel the steam comming out and the aroma from it

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  7. Calzones are a favorite at my house, and yours looks delicious!

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  8. Ruth I LOVE Calzone's. I have never attempted to make my own but you did a great job!

    Maria
    x

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  9. Thanks Maryann! I really enjoyed making and eating this!!! Thanks for the challenge.

    Hi proud italian cook! Welcome to my blog! Thank you for the challenge, i loved it!

    Thanks Kate.... it's the best I've ever eaten.... being the only one I've ever eaten doesn't make that hard though.

    Hey Deborah, let me know if you try it!!! It's incredibly easy! I'm sure you'll love it.
    Jamie at home is quite a fun read, but i've struggled to find things that are good for regular home cooking (especially with a hubby who hardly eats veg!) but also gives some good tips on cooking and has helped me to think a little more creatively. I havenn't and probably won't use many of the recipes in it though, it'll probably just turn into a pretty book on the shelf. You're right about the tips for gardening, I'll be reading those in more detail once we sort out our garden this summer with a vegetable patch.

    Hey Katie, you should try this some time!

    Hey Happy Cook, it was incredibly tasty, great fluffy dough, beautiful sauce and cheese and the pancetta and mushrooms were just delicious!!! A great dinner!

    Thanks Dell! It tasted absolutely delicious too!

    Hey Deborah, thank you! You should blog your recipe sometime!!!

    Hey Maria, you should give it a go! It's such a straightforward meal to make and a bit different to regular pizza.

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  10. I love calzones and haven't had them in yonkers. I'm going to have to make them, thanks for sharing!

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  11. Your Calzone looks perfect Ruth!! I must put them on my list of to make!

    Rosie x

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  12. Hey pixie.... I haven't heard the word "yonkers" in yonkers!!!!! Hope you make some! Let me know how it goes!

    Thanks Rosie. It was delicious! Can't wait to make it again. Let me know how yours turns out

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  13. i love calzones but haven't made one myself yet. great job!

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  14. Hey Jaime! You should give it a go sometime!!!!

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  15. Great idea for the roundup! You calzone looks very professional, Jamie taught you well!

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  16. Thanks Lisarene! The thing is, Jamie just makes it look so easy!!!! And with this recipe it is!

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