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Next time you crave a calzone, forget about ordering out and make your own. This foolproof recipe guarantees perfect results every time.
Yield: 4 calzone and 2 cups sauce
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 cups mozzarella, grated (or 2 cups creamy goat cheese)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- pinch black pepper
Calzone shell
- 2¼ tsp. active-dry yeast
- 1 T. honey
- 1 cup warm water, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 T. olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg white (for glazing the pastry)
Chipotle marinara sauce
- 16 plum tomatoes
- 4 T. olive oil
- 2 T. chipotle pepper flakes
- 2 crushed garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 T. tomato paste
Preparation
Filling
In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients, and mix well.
Calzone shell
In small bowl, combine yeast and honey with 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve thoroughly.
In large bowl, mix flour, oil, salt and remaining water. Add yeast mixture, and mix well. Form dough into ball; cover with clean, moist cloth; and leave at room temperature for approximately 90 minutes.
Sprinkle flour on clean surface and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Knead dough, divide it into four equal servings, and roll out each portion very thinly to form circles. Add few drops of water if necessary.
Chipotle Marinara Sauce
Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop out insides. Place tomato halves on baking tray, cut side facing up, and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle chipotle pepper flakes, garlic and onion evenly over tomato halves. Set oven to broil, and cook tomatoes for approximately 20 minutes or until they start to soften and turn brown. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. Once the tomatoes become cool, purée in a blender with the tomato paste. Set oven’s temperature to 400 degrees F.
Assembly
Place filling on half of each dough circle dough. Fold over dough to form semi-circle, sealing edges with warm water. Make sure calzone is well-sealed to prevent filling from leaking. Using pastry brush, coat tops of calzone with egg white, and prick tops with a toothpick.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Serve Chipotle Marinara Sauce.
Excerpt from Tasty Tomatoes, part of the Popular Gardening Series, with permission from its publisher, BowTie, Inc. Purchase Tasty Tomatoes here.
