Easy Calzones (Pioneer Woman)

I always remember... The calzone.

Yes... This particular calzone that was so hard to chew and eventually chipping my tooth!

Calzone? Is it a pizza? Sort of... Calzone is a folded pizza or a turnover shaped bread filled with ingredients that are normally associated with pizza toppings. Typically, calzones are made with lots of cheese stuffing. The dough is folded into a half-moon shape, sealed with an egg wash mixture and baked. Calzones are the best serving them immediately and sometimes with marinara sauce or pesto.

Why is this particular calzone that I ate so hard to chew? Is every calzone like this? NO! For the fact that I lost part of my tooth, I always remember eating this toughest calzone that I ever had from this particular pizza shop. Not surprisingly at all, the shop had closed down a few years later after I chipped my tooth. Until now, I still have the fear of eating teeth-crunching calzones and hope not to bake any of these failing ones at home...

After seeing this easy and deliciously cheesy calzone recipe at Pioneer Woman Cooks and Food Network, I've managed to convince myself that I can bake calzones. The though of eating nice cheesy food seems to make me do anything... LOL!

Feeling assure with this recipe? Kind of. According to Ree's recipe, these calzones are fail-proof if they are made using frozen and un-risen dinner rolls dough. To tackle this, I'm using this always-fail-proof Jamie Oliver's pizza dough to make these calzones. Glad that everything is deliciously ok!

Did I lost any teeth after eating these? NO!!! Definitely 100% NO!!!

Easy and NOT-teeth-crunching Calzones

Gourmet-style pizza dough ingredients - Very Jamie Oliver!

Motherly-kids-friendly calzones ingredients - Very Ree Drummond!

Indeed, this is a fail proof pizza dough recipe.

Making the easy calzone filling: Cook cook cook... Mix mix mix...

I didn't even need a rolling pin to make these!

No extra proving time required... Just wrap, egg wash and bake!

Feeling hungry! Can't wait to eat my vegetarian calzone ...

Wait a minute! I forgot the sauce!

Disclaimer: No tooth is harmed for the enjoyment of these calzones. Phew!

Here are the recipes.
(with my modification and notes in blue)

Easy Calzones by Pioneer Woman

16 whole frozen, unrisen dinner rolls (or frozen bread loaves)
1 tbsp butter
(replaced with olive oil)
1 whole medium onion, diced
1 pound breakfast or Italian sausage
(I used 2 beef sausages for half amount of the recipe)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 
(I used Italian dried herbs)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
(for my son who can't tolerate red pepper, I didn't use for this)
15 ounces, fluid whole milk ricotta cheese
(for half amount of this recipe, I used 250g of 50% fat reduced ones which has a fat content of 4.7g per 100g)
1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 whole eggs
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
(I didn't add this)
marinara sauce (or pasta sauce), for serving
1 whole egg beaten

Place frozen bread dough on a baking sheet to thaw. Cover with a tea towel and let thaw and rise for 2 to 3 hrs.

Preheat oven to 400°F (180°C fan forced).

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add sausage and cook until brown, crumbling the sausage as you stir. Add Italian seasoning (or herbs) and red pepper flakes (I didn't add this). Remove from pan and allow to cool on a plate.

In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley (I didn't add this). When sausage is cool, stir it in. Set aside.

When rolls are thawed and risen, roll them out on a lightly floured surface until paper thin. Spoon 3-4 tbsp (approximately) filling onto half of the dough circle. Fold half of the dough over itself, then press edges to seal.

Brush surface of calzone with beaten egg, then bake for 10-13 mins, or until nice and golden brown. Serve with warm marinara (or pasta) sauce.

Note: Using half of the recipe, I have made 8 calzones (4 with sausages and 4 vegetarian ones) and baked them at 180°C fan forced for 20 mins.

Pizza Dough by Jamie Oliver

7 cups "00" flour or strong white bread flour, plus more for work surface and bowl
(I used 525g for half amount of the recipe)
1 tbsp fine sea salt
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 tbsp raw sugar, such as turbinado or Demerara
(I used turbinado)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water, yeast, sugar, and olive oil. Process until a dough has formed.

Dust a large bowl with flour and transfer dough in bowl. Sprinkle flour on top of dough and cover with a damp towel. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hr.

Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use immediately, or wrap dough in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to use. 

Note: Half amount of this recipe is just right to make 8 calzones. Instead of using a food processor, I have placed all ingredient in a breadmaker and used the dough setting to knead and prove the dough. I kept the dough in the fridge until it is ready to use.

Happy Baking
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