A delicious calzone recipe to share
Calzone is a typical food in Italian gastronomy, which is considered a variation of pizza. It is a spice of pizza wrapped in its own dough.
The recipe originated in Naples, in order to obtain a pizza that could be portable. But, in recent years it has become even more popular thanks to a television series called "Scandalous." In one of its episodes it appeared as a delight that its protagonists consumed.
In this sense, below we will explain how to prepare the traditional calzone and the one shown in the television series. In this way, you can choose which of these two versions you like the most.
Calzone ingredients
Note: We will divide the ingredient list according to the type of calzone.
Traditional calzone
6 and a half ounces of warm water.
11 ounces of wheat flour. (You should still keep a little more to knead and flour).
One and a half tablespoons of olive oil.
Two spoons of sugar.
One tablespoon of instant yeast.
A tablespoon and a half of salt.
Calzone from "Scandalous"
A tablespoon of olive oil.
One and a half tablespoons of instant yeast.
Three-quarters of a cup of warm water.
Two cups of wheat flour. (Anyway, you will need a little more knead and flour).
A tablespoon and a half of salt.
What you should know before starting
The difference between both recipes, that is, the traditional one and the one on the television program is that for the traditional dough, the dough needs 24-hour fermentation.
In the case of the calzone dough from "Escandalosos", a fermentation of 1 hour is required. This implies that if you are in a hurry, this will be your ideal recipe.
The traditional calzones do not have sauce inside, so for the sauce of the traditional version, the sauce will be available as a companion.
The calzone can have different fillings, but the traditional one should never have sauce inside.
The final texture of the traditional calzone is different from the Escandalosos calzone, as the former is more flattened and has a softer dough. The second is higher and with a more consistent mass.
Steps to follow to prepare the calzone
Note: We will divide each process into several parts.
Traditional calzone
For the mass.
First, place the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl, and we will begin to beat in a mixing machine, or with our hands.
While we are mixing, add warm water, and after it is integrated, add the olive oil. Ideally, the machine should beat it for 5 to 6 minutes.
At the end of the process, we will end up with a moist and homogeneous dough. This will be the moment when we must knead on the table, for this we flour a flat surface and knead from the corners to the inside, in order to form a ball.
Take the dough to a bowl greased with a little oil and cover with transparent plastic wrap.
Because this dough must have a cold fermentation, just like pizza dough, we will take our bowl with the dough to the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Preparation of the sauce.
In a blender, place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, pepper and salt to taste. Beat by pressing the beat button little by little, so that not too much air gets into the sauce.
In a saucepan, add the olive oil, followed by the sauce. Mix well and cook over medium heat. Ideally, it should cook for half an hour and stir from time to time to prevent the sauce from splashing throughout the kitchen.
Serve the sauce in a small container and reserve.
Assembling and baking the calzone.
On a separate tray, prepare it by placing baking paper sprinkled with "corn meal" flour, that is, coarse corn flour. We booked.
On a flat surface, we sprinkle wheat flour. Scoop out the dough, divide it in two, and make sure it has flour on both sides before we roll it out.
With our fingers, we spread the dough a little and later, we use a rolling pin to spread the dough, ideally, the center of the dough retains its circular shape.
Place a layer of mozzarella cheese first in the center, in just one half of the center. Then add the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the cheese a little, add a little oregano and fresh basil. Finally, add one more layer of mozzarella to seal.
We cover the filling with the other half of the dough, in order to join the edges. If they are uneven, just remove the excess with a pizza cutter. Flatten the edges very well.
With great care, we transfer the calzone to the tray.
In a bowl, add an egg and a little milk, beat a little and with the help of a brush, paint the surface of the calzone. This will help create a shiny surface.
Place the tray in an oven preheated to 260º C. Let it cook for 15 to 18 minutes.
At the end of this time, serve accompanied by the previous sauce.
Calzone from "Scandalous"
In itself, the procedure is similar to the traditional calzone, and the only thing that changes is the preparation time, as well as some other details. We explain below.
We knead the dough as in the traditional calzone process and spread with the rolling pin.
To recreate the calzone from "Escandalosos", we add the sauce, spreading it over the entire interior surface.
Also add a little pepper and cheese, especially in one of the halves.
Place slices of salami in one of the halves, finally one more layer of cheese.
Coat the previous ingredients with the dough from the first half, joining the edges.
Remove the excess dough again and seal the edges.
Take the calzone back to the tray, brush with the egg and milk mixture and make three openings in the center of the calzone.
Place the tray in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes at 260ºC.
Once the calzone is done, take it out of the oven and serve it on a plate to enjoy.