Calzone - Spinach,Ricotta and Mushroom filling

A Calzone is basically a Pizza sandwich . Its a pizza base folded over with the toppings inside it and baked.
If you are familiar with making pizzas - its the same process , the doughthe fillings the sauce .Only the shape is different.

Ingredients for pizza base :


Note: I was able to make 1 large pizza and a Calzone with this quantity of dough

1. Maida /All purpose flour - 3 cups (+ 1/2 cup as required to make the dough)
2. Yeast - 2 tsp
3. Sugar - 1 tbsp
4. Olive oil - 3 tbsp
5. salt - 1 tsp
6. Water - 1 and 1/4 cup

Ingredients for the filling :

1. Spinach - 4 cups packed , remove the hard stems ,wash and keep aside
2. Mushroom - 8 button mushroom sliced thin
3. Onion - 1/2 of a small sliced
4. Oil - 1 tbsp
5. salt and pepper - to taste
6. fresh or dry Oregano - 1/2 tsp
7. ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup (find recipe for home made ricotta cheese here )
8. Pizza Sauce - 4 tbsp (find recipe for homemade pizza sauce/Marinara here)
9. Mozzarella cheese - 4 tbsp grated

Method for the Dough :
slightly warm the water (not hot , just warm .If you have it hot it will kill the yeast)
Add sugar and yeast and keep aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to foam.
The dough raises to double quantity , so in a big bowl add the maida and salt and stir.
pour in the yeast mix and oil and knead to form a very soft dough.add more flour as needed ( the dough should be just past the sticky stage and not hard, so do not add more flour than necessary) Allow to raise at least for 1.5 hours , you can let it stay for upto 4 hours.

Method for the filling :

Bring a pan of water to boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and add the spinach and blanch (approximately 2 minutes)

Strain the spinach and squeeze out the water until it is dry.

Mix the spinach with the ricotta cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion and mushroom until it is cooked through and all the water has evaporated.Season with salt.

To assemble the Calzone :

Preheat oven to 220 Celsius.
Punch the risen dough down .

Take 1/3 rd of the dough and  roll out to a circle about 1/4th inch thick dusting with flour as needed. 

Place it on a nonstick pizza pan or cake tray that fits in your oven.

Place the  spinach ricotta filling on one half of the disc leaving 1/2 inch along the edges empty.

Spoon some sauce over it and top with mushroom and onion mix.

sprinkle the Oregano.

Add the mozzarella cheese and fold the empty 1/2 over to form a calzone shape.

Secure the edges together by pinching the 2 layers and crimping it.

make 3 or 4 cuts on the top of the dough for the steam to escape while baking (else the dough with burst and the filling will ooze out)

Brush the top of the Calzone with eggwash (beaten egg+water -  for a glazed shiny effect) with some Olive oil .

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the dough is golden and puffed up.

NOTE:You can add any kind of filling ,veg or nonveg - If you are adding veggies that have moisture content - and you prefer a crispy product rather than a soggy one ,saute or grill your fillings.