Cheesy Spinach Calzones
 
 
Author:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • Pizza Dough (Recipe inspired by Mario Batali's Basic Pizza Dough recipe)
  • 10 Tbsp Warm Water
  • 1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
  • ½ teaspoons Sugar
  • 1 + ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tablespoons Salt
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Spinach Filling
  • 2 cups spinach, chop finely
  • 1 tbsp butter (14 gm)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped fine
  • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk (any fat content)
  • ½ cup water
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp yogurt
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1-2 tsp Green chili paste (optional but add if you want spicy)
  • Marinara Sauce (Buy almost all the ingredients here)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 1Hunt's diced tomato can (14.5 oz)
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp parsley
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
Instructions
  1. In a bowl ,add warm water, sugar and yeast and let it sit for 10-12 minutes until it gets foamy. If you feel yeast is still not activated, I would suggest throwing this and making a fresh one.
  2. Now in another bowl, take flour and salt. To it add this yeast mixture and olive oil and mix until evenly mixed. It might be a bit sticky. Now knead this dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and supple.
  3. Cover it in a bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled.
  4. Meanwhile get the filling ready.
  5. In a skillet add butter. Melt and add garlic and onion. Cook for few minutes until soft and raw smell is gone. Now to it add flour and cook the flour until lightly golden. Add milk and water and stir continuously until it starts to thicken. To it add sugar, salt, yogurt, lime juice,spinach and cheddar cheese. Keep stirring and cooking on medium heat until it is reduced to half or very thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
  6. Let it cool.
  7. Now once the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it into 2 balls. At this stage you can make the conventional calzone shape : that is make small balls, roll them in circle shape, place some filling on one side and fold the other side over. It will look like a stuffed semi circle or you can do the easy way like I did.
  8. Roll one of the ball to almost 13" long and 8" wide rectangle. Place half of the filling in center and cover from all the four sides. Make sure you do not over fill or filling will ooze out while baking.
  9. Using a knife make few slits on top.
  10. Brush with egg white or milk with some sugar and bake on parchment paper lined baking sheet for 22-25 minutes.
  11. Serve with marinara sauce.
  12. Marinara Sauce :
  13. Heat oil in a pot. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes from the can, mushing them using the back of spatula. Add salt, black pepper, oregano and parsley. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer on med-low for 12-15 minutes or until thick and tomatoes get broken down. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add freshly chopped basil. Serve or once cold, store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
Notes
Ami says:
Once I roll out the dough in rectangle shape, I like to transfer it to a parchemnt paper and then do the filling part as it makes it easy to transfer it to the baking sheet once it is filled with filling.
Recipe by Naive Cook Cooks at https://www.naivecookcooks.com/cheesy-spinach-calzones/