Homemade Pizza Dough and Calzones

Whenever we have red-sauced pasta at my house, it’s called “Naked Pasta Night.” We undress the girls down to their skivvies before giving them a fork. It’s bad enough I end up underneath the table cleaning noodles off the floor and if you know me, you know I always bump my head. If I can get out of stain removing right after dinner, or at all, I will.  And since I am domestically challenged at laundry, the clothes would end up ruined despite my efforts. Pizza is a less messy endeavor and just the announcement of such a menu item at home inspires cheers. They love it, and I love it because it’s cost-effective, easy, and a great way to use leftovers.

Homemade pizza is something that can be whipped up in no time, and is a good way to use leftovers in my fridge  too. The other night I had feta cheese for which I had no plan, so it went on the pizza. I had a few lonely artichoke hearts swimming in marinade, so I threw them on too. My basil plant had seen better days, so I harvested what was left and used that as a topping as well. All the action doesn’t have to be on top of the pizza — I also throw dried rosemary and basil in the crust. You can smell the herbs baking in the crust – - lovely. With homemade pizza dough you can make bread sticks, calzones and stromboli.

I have experimented with several dough recipes and consider this to be fool-proof. However,  if you have any problems let me know and I will help trouble-shoot. I bake mine on a pizza stone and dust it with cornmeal to give the  bottom of the crust texture, and help prevent sticking. Of course, always preheat the oven. I’m also including a calzone recipe. My aunt said when she made calzones she had great blobs of dough and little filling. I’ve done that too. You really have to roll the dough out really thin, and I’m still trying to perfect it myself. If you  aren’t experienced with dough it might take a little time to get totally comfortable with it, but that’s the fun part of cooking – - learning and getting better every time. Do not expect perfection in your cooking, just progress as you go along. Put on some fun music and try these recipes on a Friday night. It’s more fun than going out in my opinion, and no shoes and no shirt required — especially the shirt in my house.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Chef Rider

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45
• degrees C)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker’s peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Spinach Artichoke Calzones

Food Network, Rachel Ray

• 2 cups part skim ricotta
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a few pinches ground
• A few grinds black pepper
• 1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for sprinkling
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Garlic oil (1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)
• 2 cups tomato sauce, marinara or pizza sauce, for dipping or Five Minute Spicy Marinara, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Roll each pizza dough out on a cookie sheet, and halve each cross-wise. Spread 1/2 cup mozzarella and up to 1/4 of filling on each rectangle. Work on just half of the surface of each rectangle of dough, then fold dough over top of filling and pinch edges firmly to seal. For a half-moon “pizza parlor” look to your calzones, mound filling into a half-moon shape, fold dough over top trim edges of dough to follow the rounded shape, then seal edges.

Tie strips of dough scraps in knots, brush with garlic oil and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake knots with calzones.

If your dough tears, remove a little of the filling and repair. Repeat the process, spacing the calzones evenly on baking sheet. Bake the calzones for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato or pizza sauce for dunking.

Cook’s Note: Freeze any remaining filling in a small plastic container and use it to stuff a chicken breast on another day.

Sausage Calzone

Food Network, Rachel Ray

• 1 1/3 pounds raw Italian sweet sausage, casing removed
• A drizzle olive oil
• 2 cups> ricotta
• A handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• A handful grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for knots
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a couple pinches of ground
• A few grinds black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimento (I never add that– it’s just one more thing to buy and I never feel like it adds too much flavor)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Garlic oil (1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Combine sausage with ricotta, parsley, garlic, Parmigiano, nutmeg, pepper, and pimento. Roll out doughs and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.

For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.

Bake calzones 15 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.

Five Minute Spicy Marinara:

• 2 tablespoons (two turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (32 ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian dried seasoning
• 1 handful Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Add olive oil to medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper to the heated olive oil; when pepper snaps and garlic sizzles, stir in crushed tomatoes. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for five minutes and stir in parsley. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings

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