STEP BY STEP:
Sausage and Pepper
Calzones STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RENÉE KOHLMAN
and cheese. There is no sauce inside the calzone (it would make it soggy), so be sure to have plenty of marinara or pizza sauce on hand for dipping. This recipe uses homemade pizza dough, but you can speed things up by buying premade dough at the deli. This recipe also makes a big batch, so you can eat some for dinner, then freeze the rest for future meals. Your future self will thank you!
Sausage and Pepper Calzones
Makes 8 large calzones or 16 small Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Dough:
2 Tbs active dry yeast 1 cup (250 mL) warm water (110°–120° F) 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups whole wheat flour ¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl 2 Tbs (30 mL) liquid honey 1½ tsp salt
Pizza dough
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s we slip into back-to-school mode, it’s always a good idea to have the freezer packed with simple suppers and snacks to reheat on busy weeknights. Calzones slide into this category perfectly. If your family loves pizza (who doesn’t love pizza?!) then they’re sure to love its tasty cousin, the calzone, too. A calzone is like an enclosed pizza that has been folded over. The pizza dough is filled with an assortment of meat, cheese, vegetables, your usual pizza
16 Culinaire | September 2021
toppings, and it’s a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge. I used Italian sausage, but cured meats like pepperoni or salami would also work. Peppers and sausage go hand in hand, but cooked greens such as spinach, chard, or kale would be terrific too. Ricotta cheese is a traditional add-in, and I rather like how it mellows out the spicy sausage filling. The melty mozzarella binds everything together and the olives bring a slight acidity that cuts through the richness of the meat
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, use a spoon to stir the yeast into 1 cup (250 mL) warm water (110°–120° F) until it dissolves. It should get foamy and froth up. This will take about 5 minutes. If your yeast doesn’t froth up, you’ll have to start over with a new package of yeast. Add the remaining dough ingredients, plus 1 cup (250 mL) of cool water to the bowl. 2. Knead on medium-low speed for 5–6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Or you can knead the dough by hand for about 7 minutes. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat, and cover with a clean tea towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 50–60 minutes. 3. Punch down the dough and divide into eight equal portions. I like to use a scale for this part. If you don’t want to make your own dough, you can purchase 1.35 kg of pizza dough from the deli. 4. Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 450º F. Lightly flour your work surface and roll each piece of dough into an 18 cm circle. Place the circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
