Healthy Homemade Calzones

Healthy Homemade Calzones
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A calzone is a big old pocket filled with everything you like in a pizza. They're really easy to make and they're a great place to 'hide' veggies from your family. Any in-season vegetables work well in a calzone—experiment and enjoy!This recipe was originally published in the Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
1.32
hours
Cook Time
25
minutes
Servings
6
servings
Healthy Homemade Calzones recipe - The Daily Meal
Total time: 1.73 hours
Ingredients
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons yeast)
  • 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
  • olive oil
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 1 to 2 cups dark greens (spinach, dandelion, kale, swiss chard all work well; do a taste test as you cook as some may be a bit bitter and require a pinch of sugar)
  • 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1 pound ricotta or cottage cheese
  • 2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • pizza sauce, for dipping
Directions
  1. If you have a breadmaker, see notes.
  2. If you are kneading by hand, place 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) and 1 tablespoon honey or sugar in the bowl to dissolve.
  3. Use a whisk to stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour. When it gets too thick to whisk, mix with a floured hand. This will take about 5 minutes.
  4. Oil the surface of the dough with olive oil. Place a warm, damp cloth over the bowl and set aside is a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  5. While the dough is rising, saute the vegetables. In a large pan, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sautee 1/2 minced onion, 1 to 2 cups dark greens and 2 to 4 minced garlic cloves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. In a large bowl, toss cooked vegetables with 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1 pound ricotta or cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Remember that the cheeses and some filling choices may already add enough of a salty flavor.
  7. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Oil a baking tray.
  8. Punch down the dough and divide into 6 sections. Roll each section out, one at a time, on a floured board, forming circles.
  9. Place about 1/2 cup of filling in the center of each circle of dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border.
  10. Moisten the edges of the dough with water and fold the dough over, crimping the edges with fingers or a fork. Make small holes in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
  11. Arrange the calzones on the oiled baking tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. To create a crispier crust, you can brush oil or melted butter on the top crust during the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve hot with pizza sauce for dipping.
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