Spinach-Ricotta Calzone

 

What's a calzone? Simply put, it's pizza crust wrapped around its topping, rather than supporting it from beneath. You know how, when eating a slice of thin-crust pizza, you fold it in half so it doesn't droop and the cheese and tomato sauce stay put? A calzone is thin-crust pizza folded before you bake it — rather than after!

Spinach-Ricotta Calzone 

Yield: 2 large calzone

Ingredients :

Crust

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup lukewarm water*

*Use the lesser amount in the summer, the greater amount in the winter, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

Filling

• 10-ounce package frozen spinach or 10 ounces fresh spinach, cooked, drained and squeezed completely dry
• 1 cup ricotta cheese, whole-milk or part-skim
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping (optional)

• tomato or pizza sauce
• shredded mozzarella cheese, or the pizza cheese of your choice

Directions :

1. To make the crust: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough setting — to make a soft, smooth dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or other rising container (an 8-cup measure works well), cover it, and let it rise until it's just about doubled in bulk, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Divide it in half.
4. Working with one half at a time, place the dough on a piece of parchment, or onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Pat it into a 10" to 11" circle.
5. To make the filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients, stirring until well combined. You'll have about 2 cups of filling.
6. Spread half of each disk of dough with half the filling. Fold the unfilled half over the filling, crimping and pressing the edges together to seal. If you've shaped the dough on parchment, lift the parchment onto a baking sheet. Or, if you have a pizza stone in your oven, place the parchment on a peel, for easiest transport.
7. Cut 3 or 4 slits in the top of each calzone, to allow steam to escape. Brush with olive oil; or brush with a thin layer of pizza sauce, and top with shredded cheese.
8. Let the calzone rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 450°F.
9. Bake the calzone for 18 to 22 minutes, until they're golden brown.
10. Remove the calzone from the oven, and slice into pieces to serve.

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