Calzones

These weren't the prettiest calzones I've ever made, but it's still nice to have a photo to go with the recipe so here it is. 

This recipe comes from my friend, Tonya, who lovingly brought us our first calzones when I was in the trenches of pregnancy nausea with Soren.  Since then, they've become a favorite for both Reese and Aaron and are liked by everyone. It's a great last minute dinner when I run out of time or whatever I'd had planned on cooking sounds less exciting than this deliciously cheese stuffed carb fest. We fill our calzones with ham and pineapple, spring veggies, caprese toppings, pepperoni, smoked gouda, jack cheese and bacon, or the classic mozzarella and olives (Quincy's favorite).  

Yield: 2 giant calzones. I double the recipe for my family since we don't mess around when it comes to bread. We eat until we're "stuffed to the muff" and there's usually almost a full calzone leftover for lunch the next day.  There's need enough when I make a single batch unless we're having a big salad with it or something. Seems like two and a half to three calzones is the right amount for my crew of 6. 

Ingredients: 

2 ½ to 3 c. Flour         

1 TBS Sugar

1 tsp Salt                     

2 ¼ tsp yeast

3 TBS Olive Oil                 

1 c. very warm Water (120-125 degrees)

1-2 tsp Italian Seasoning 

Directions: 

Mix flour, sugar, salt, italian seasoning and yeast in large bowl. Add oil and warm water.  Mix until dough is soft and eaves sides of bowl.  I just mix by hand with a wooden spoon or danish dough whisk. Place dough on lightly floured surface.  Knead 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy.  Cover loosely with towel and let rest 20-30 minutes while you get all the toppings ready.

To braid bread (after it is done raising in bowl) : Split dough in half.  Take section and roll into a thin rectangle (probably a 1/4 inch or so... pretty thin).  Brush a little melted butter down the center of dough and spread within an inch from all edges (don't want the edges wet, it makes it difficult to press the strips down when you braid).  Then put toppings down the middle of the rectangle maybe a width of two inches.  From there you will take a pizza cutter and slice lines from the toppings, perpendicular out to the edge of the bread, on both sides of the toppings (make sure you have the same amount of strips)  Then you just start at the top pulling one strip and folding it across the toppings (angled slighly down) then alternating sides. The right goes over the left (angled slightly down) and repeat.  At the end, you just pinch the bottom shut after the last braid.

After calzones are assembled, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.  

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes  

Slice calzone into 4-6 smaller pieces and serve with pizza sauce to dip.