Calzones with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Calzones are traditional Italian stuffed breads. This calzone with sausage and broccoli rabe happens to be bursting with mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, and red pepper flakes. It's sort of like a folded-over pizza slice.
Equipment
- Pizza stone or cast-iron skillets
Ingredients
For the dough
- Nonstick spray oil (optional)
- 4 cups bread flour, plus more for the work surface
- 1 envelope instant yeast, (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water, (about 110° F [43°C])
For the calzone filling
- 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 1 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese, (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage
- 12 ounces broccoli rabe
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cold water, plus more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the calzones
- Kosher salt
Instructions
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, yeast, and table salt to combine. Attach the bowl and dough hook to the mixer and, on medium-low speed, add first the olive oil and then gradually add the water in a slow steady stream, continuing to combine until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 10 minutes.
- Lightly slick a large bowl with a little oil. Form the dough in a ball, dump it into the bowl seam side down, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap lightly slicked with oil or nonstick vegetable spray and let it rise in a warm spot until double in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Make the calzone filling
- While the dough rises, in a largish bowl, combine the cheeses, egg yolk, oregano, table salt, and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is ready.
- Remove the casing from the sausage. Cook the sausage in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and breaking the sausage into 1/2 inch crumbles, until it's no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds or so.
- While the sausage cooks, wash and dry the broccoli rabe and trim the stalks about 1 inch below the leaves, discarding the ends. Cut the broccoli rabe crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
- Stir the broccoli rabe into the sausage and then add the water and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the broccoli rabe is still slightly crisp yet almost tender and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. It may be necessary to add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to coax the broccoli rabe to almost tenderness.
- Dump the contents of the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, pat dry with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture so your calzone isn't soggy.
Assemble the calzones
- Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and place a pizza stone or a couple cast-iron skillets turned upside down on the oven rack. Preheat the oven to 500 °F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly slick it with oil.
- Turn the risen dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough in half, and then cut each half into thirds. Gently shape each piece of dough into a ball. Move to the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that you've slicked with a little oil. Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.
- Cut eight 9-inch squares of parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the other pieces covered, roll the dough into a 9-inch round. Place the dough round on a parchment square and cover it with another parchment square. Roll out another dough ball, set it on top of the first dough round, and cover it with a parchment square. Repeat to form a stack of 3 dough rounds, covering the top round with a parchment square. Form a second stack of 3 rounds with the remaining dough balls and parchment squares.
- Remove the top parchment square from the first stack of dough rounds and place it on the work surface. (If the dough rounds have shrunk, gently roll them out again to 9-inch rounds.) Spread 1/6th of the ricotta mixture on the bottom half of each dough round, leaving a 1 inch border plain. Place 1/6 of the sausage mixture on the cheese filling.
- Fold the top half of the dough over the filling-covered bottom half, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered. Gently place your fingertips on the top layer of dough and press ever so slightly to let any air escape. Beginning at one end of the seam, place your index finger diagonally across the edge and use your thumb to gently pull the bottom layer of the dough over the tip of your index finger, and press the dough to seal. Repeat the process until the calzone is fully sealed. With a very sharp paring knife or razor blade, cut 5 slits, each about 1 1/2 inches long, diagonally across the top of the calzone, making sure to cut through just the top layer of dough and not completely through the calzone.
- With a pastry brush or your fingertips, brush the tops and sides of the calzones with oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. Trim the excess parchment paper.
- Slide the calzones and their parchment onto a pizza peel or an upside-down baking sheet and then slide them onto the hot pizza stone or the bottom of the cast-iron skillets. (You'll probably need to bake the calzones in batches. Typically 2 will fit on a baking stone.) Bake until the calzones are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Carefully slide the parchment and calzones onto the pizza peel or upside-down baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack. Remove the calzones from the parchment and, if you can resist diving straight in, let them cool for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 2496kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 149g | Fat: 167g | Saturated Fat: 100g | Monounsaturated Fat: 51g | Cholesterol: 637mg | Sodium: 2270mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g