Fold a Pizza in Half

While driving home from Fayetteville, I was struck by an urge to make and eat a slew of calzones. When I called my mom to suggest this, she had already planned dinner, so I pushed the folded pizzas from my mind. However, my dad and I convinced her in the end to make some Italian fare for the night, and we made these really great calzones.



I used an old pizza dough recipe that was lurking in my computer somewhere. That means I don't know where it's originally from, unfortunately. This dough worked particularly well because it didn't require too much time to proof and we didn't have a lot of time to waste. I was a little disappointed that it didn't turn golden-brown and delightful in the oven, but the taste was unaffected, so I can't really complain.



Basic Pizza Dough
Makes three large calzones or two large pizzas

1 tablespoon yeast
1 pinch sugar
1 cup hot water (105 degrees)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 ½ cups flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, etc. (optional)

Sprinkle yeast in hot water, add a pinch of sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Mix in vegetable oil, flour, sugar and salt. Stir to make stiff dough. Knead 8 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn, let rise to double in a warm place (I like to do this in the oven turned to the very lowest setting.) Punch down.

Divide the dough in half (for pizza) or thirds (for calzones). Brush each crust with 1-tablespoon of oil. Cover and let rest for five more minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If using for pizza, bake crust for 15 minutes before removing from oven to add sauce, cheese, and other toppings. Then, bake for 15 more minutes. If you're making calzones, add the desired filling right away and bake for about 25 minutes.