calzones

josh and i are big pizza fans, i mean, who isn't. i know it's not quite a "healthy" option, but for these calzones, i did opt out of pepperoni slices for veggies (peppers and onions). i've been using the same basic pizza dough recipe now for stromboli twice, pizza + bread sticks once and now calzones. i found the recipe here; it's Emeril's dough recipe, and i love it! this time i used rapid rise yeast so i didn't have to wait almost two hours for rising time (which i did last Friday, and it just seemed to take FOREVER to double).

i came across a few issues when i made this...like, i um, ran out of regular flour. luckily i had some wheat flour, so i substituted that, and it turned out fine. i also have a tendency to over-stuff my stromboli, so i didn't put much filling in these calzones...and it was definitely not enough. i also think my dough could have rested longer and i could have made it thinner when i rolled it out. despite these issues, the calzones were still tasty.

recipe:
~bread dough~
1 package yeast, .25 oz
1 c water (about 110 degrees)
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 T olive oil, plus more for bowl
2 1/2 - 3 c all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary
cornmeal - for pizza stone/pizza peel, if you have one (we don't boooo)
egg wash (beaten egg + 1 T water)
Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and garlic powder
sauce for dipping

~fillings~
anything you want! we used pepperoni, mozzarella/provolone pizza cheese combo, peppers and onions.

~instructions~

1. combine yeast, sugar and water in large bowl, or bowl for electric mixer. let sit till foamy, about 5 minutes. i've read this isn't necessary for rapid rise yeast, but i do it anyway. i've also found heating your bowl a little helps with the yeast, or at least so it isn't freezing cold from sitting in your 60 degree kitchen all day.
2. add salt, olive oil and 1/2 the flour, stir to combine.
3. add remaining flour, dough will be slightly sticky. knead 5-7 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. dough should not be sticky by this point.
4. transfer to lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat. let sit till doubled in size, about an hour. if you're using rapid rise yeast like me, you only need to let it sit for about 10 minutes.
5. preheat oven to 475. 
6. form dough into four balls for calzones. cover w/ damp towel and let rest for 15 minutes. after this resting period, i froze two balls of dough wrapped in plastic and in a freezer bag for future use.
7. use this time to prepare your filling, chop veggies, etc.
8. form dough into two circles, about 8" in diameter. add filling of choice to center of one side of circle, fold over and crimp with fingers or fork to seal. brush egg wash over top of calzone, top with a sprinkling of garlic, parm and Italian seasonings, if desired. 
9. cut slit in calzone to allow steam to escape and bake for 8-10 minutes. serve w/ sauce.