I'm here to revive this thread, with my specialty dish: homemade calzone! This is surprisingly simple to make, and will astound your friends! Also, it's versatile, so you can add whatever filling you want.
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups of lukewarm water
- 2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 3 1/2 cups white flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 3 tbl. olive oil
Filling ingredients (feel free to experiment)
- 2 cups finely chopped spinach
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni slices
- Salt and pepper to taste
Lightly whisk the water, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl, cover, and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Mix the flour, salt, and olive oil into the rested dough. I recommend using a fork to initially mix, and then use your hands to knead the rest together. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not getting stuck on your hands a great deal. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. If the dough is too dry and cracking even after a lot of kneading, add a bit more oil or water. Once the dough is kneaded, cover for at least 2 or 3 hours.
Once risen, sprinkle some flour on a countertop and roll the dough out. The dough should be slightly longer than wide (roughly a 3:2 or 2:1 ratio) and not too thick. Once rolled out, add your toppings. I add three or four rows of pepperoni going lengthwise up the dough, making sure to leave a good 1-1.5 inch uncovered at the ends. Cover the pepperoni with cheese and cover the chesse with the chopped spinach. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Next, fold the four uncovered sides over the toppings, starting with the wide sides, and then the narrow ends. Crimp the overlapping edges to prevent leaks in the over. Now, pick up the calzone, flip it upside-down and put it on a pan. Brush with olive oil and cover it with a towel for about 30 minutes.
Cook in the oven for roughly 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. It should be brown on the top. Put it on a rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy! You can dip it in a sauce of your choice as well if you desire!