Veg Calzone

A calzone which is known to have originated in Naples, Italy is basically made up of bread dough shaped like a half moon and has some stuffing.

We love Italian Cuisine and have already posted some of our favorite recipes:Potato Frittata, Vegetarian Lasagna, Chicken Spaghetti and Veg Pizza. Calzone is another addition to this list. It is tasty and healthy and quite easy too.

Usually calzones are made with all purpose flour. However, this particular recipe uses whole wheat flour and hence is healthier. You can make any stuffing of your choice. Mix together your favorite ingredients and cheese and you have the stuffing ready. You can make it smaller in size and serve it as a bite sized appetizer or make bigger calzones which will serve as a meal by themselves.

Makes: 5-6 calzones
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

To make dough:
All purpose flour: 1/2 cup
Whole wheat flour: 2 and 1/2 cups
Active Dry Yeast: 1/2 tbsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Warm Water: 1 and 1/4 cup

To make stuffing:
Onion: 2 medium chopped
Capsicum: 2 chopped
Garlic: 4-5 cloves finely chopped
Pepper Powder: 1/2 tsp
Dried Basil: 1/2 tsp
Oregano: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Mozzarella Cheese: 1/2 cup grated
Cheddar Cheese: 1/2 cup grated
Cream: 2 tbsp (Optional)

Method of Preparation:

To make calzone

1. Add sugar and yeast to the warm water and let it sit for 15-30 minutes till it becomes frothy.
2. Add the olive oil and all purpose flour to the yeast mixture and whisk it.
3. Add the salt and wheat flour, 1 cup at a time and mix well.
4. Knead the entire dough well till it becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Brush water over the dough and keep it in a bowl covered with moist cloth till it doubles up. Usually this will take around 45 minutes to 1 hour if the temperature is right.
6. Divide the dough into 5 balls.

To make stuffing

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onion and sauté till translucent.
2. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add capsicum and sauté for 3-4 minutes. You can use capsicum of any color or also a mix of different capsicums to make it more colorful. I had used red and green capsicum.
4. Add salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Mix well.
5. Add cream and mix well. (Optional)
6. Remove from heat and add the grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Mix well.
7. Keep it aside and let cool. Divide into 5 parts.

Final Steps

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
2. Dust a rolling blade with some flour. Take one portion of the dough and roll it out to around 6 inches diameter.
3. Take one part of the stuffing and place on one side of the rolled out dough. Keep a gap of around 1/2 inch around the edge.
4. Cover the side which has the stuffing with the other side. (Refer to Steps picture)
5. Use a fork and press the edge. (Refer to Steps picture)
6. Gently place the calzone in greased tray. Brush with oil.
7. Let the calzones bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove and keep on wire rack for cooling.