A calzone is a filled pizza and great to take along on a day out. The whole ones make a hearty meal or you could make eight half-sized versions for a smaller snack. One tip the blocks of mozzarella work better than the balls for this recipe, but if you can only find the balls, drain them well before using.
Ingredients
- 250 g strong wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 200 g mushrooms, quartered
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
- small bunch of basil
- 25 g vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese, grated block of mozzarella (250 g), sliced
How to Make It
- To make the dough, put the flour and yeast in a bowl and add half a teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine, then gradually work in 150 ml of warm water and 25 ml of olive oil. When you have a rough dough, turn it out on to a work surface and knead until it is smooth and pliable. Put the dough in a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or cling film. Leave it to prove for at least an hour until it has doubled in size.
- Next prepare the filling. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and fry them until well browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mushrooms to cool down.
- Preheat your oven to its highest setting.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each one out into a thin round. Arrange a quarter of the mushrooms over one half of the first round of dough, then top with a quarter of the peppers, tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle with Parmesan, season well and lay over a quarter of the slices of mozzarella. Pull the uncovered side of dough over the filling, then crimp the edges together – the traditional way to do it is to roll them upwards. Cut a couple of slits in the middle of the calzone. Repeat to make the rest.
- Lightly flour a baking tray and place the calzones on top. Bake them in the oven for 12–15 minutes until they are well-risen and golden brown. Allow them to cool a little before eating they’ll be volcanic inside! If you’re taking them out for a picnic or a packed lunch, wrap them in some baking paper and foil.