Calzone

Calzone, which originated from Naples in Italy, is a folded Italian pizza and looks rather like an English Cornish pasty. It is easier to eat particularly for people on the move. The fillings can be the same as used in a pizza. Italians often use left-over vegetables from the night before and it goes well with chopped ham, melted Mazzarella cheese and tomatoes. There is a link to our YouTube video at the end of this article.

                               A Calzone with containing ham, melted cheese and tomatoes.

Ingredients

Pizza dough made with 00 grade flour.
Small pieces of chicken or ham.
Selection of mushrooms.
Chopped onion.
Garlic, Thyme (any other herbs) and tomato puree.
Torn up pieces of Mazzarella (wet pouch version).
Splash of olive oil and flour for dusting.

Directions

 Take a ball of pizza dough previously made, and roll out on a flat surface and dust liberally with flour to prevent it sticking. Punch it out into a circle with your fingers and give a final roll with a rolling pin, make it as thin as possible without splitting it. Make it into the size of a small tea plate and put it to one side, with it dusted in flour.

Heat up a frying pan with a small glug of Olive oil and add the chicken or ham, turning it over several times to ensure that it is cooked, then add the mushrooms and any other vegetables as desired such as leeks and onions. Season with ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt and any herbs that you wish to use such as Oregano, Basil and Thyme.

When cooked add some tomato puree, pasta sauce or raggu. Don't make the mixture too wet otherwise the Calzone will leak. Taste it as you go.

Take a baking tray and arrange your Calzone dough bases. Fill half the Calzone circle with the filling, add some Mozzarella, and fold the other half over it and crimp the edges rather like a Cornish pasty. Just wipe your baking tray over with some olive oil to prevent sticking and place the Calzone's on the tray and place in the oven. You can wash some milk over the top to make it brown easier - but this is not usually done with Calzone. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes but do check to see if they are brown before removing them.

A video on how to make Calzone's can be seen on our YouTube channel on this link. And how to make the pizza dough on this link.