My First Broccoli and Mushroom Calzone–Success!

Brian and I have been eating homemade pizza every couple weeks or so, but I wanted to mix it up a little.  I decided to try making a calzone.  Granted, that isn’t really much of a feat, but I get a little scared whenever I’m not working with a recipe.  Well, miracles do happen, because the calzone turned out great (better, Brian says, than the calzones at one of my favorite restaurants…but that’s another story).  Anyway, one of the great things about pizza and calzones is that they’re so easy to make healthy (or healthier, depending on how you want to look at it.  I could never give up cheese and choose to ignore it’s flaws) and/or vegetarian.

Broccoli and Mushroom Calzone

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 calzone

Ingredients

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 and 1/8 cups warm water (105 to 115°)
• 2 and 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• cornmeal
• 1 medium head of broccoli
• 2 button mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup ricotta cheese

Instructions

1. Combine the yeast, honey and water in a 2 cup measuring cup.  Let stand for 5 minutes while the yeast does its thing.
2. When the 5 minutes are over, combine the yeast mixture, flours, salt and oil in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer).  Beat at low speed until the dough forms a ball.
3. Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place (our apartment is cold, so I turn the oven on “warm” and set the bowl of dough on top of it).  Let rise for 1 and a 1/2 hours, or until the ball of dough has about doubled in size.
4. When the dough has about a half hour left to rise, begin prepping fillings.  Cut the florets off the broccoli and slice the mushrooms.  Mince or press the garlic cloves.
5. Also, this is a good time to preheat the pizza stone, with a sprinkling of corn meal on top, in the oven at 450°.
6. In a large skillet, combine the vegetables and garlic, along with a drizzle of olive oil.  Cook until the vegetables are soft.
7. Combine the cheeses and vegetable fillings in a bowl.  Mix to combine evenly.
8. Use your hands and a rolling pin to make the dough as round and thin as possible.  When you’re satisfied (it’s dinner–it just has to taste good, not look perfect!), pierce the dough with a fork.   Otherwise, the dough gets big bubbles in it when it cooks.  Trust me.
9. Move the dough to the preheated pizza stone.  Neat trick: fold the dough into quarters for easier transportation–also works for pie crusts (thanks mom!)
10. Cover half the dough with the cheese and vegetable filling.
11. Fold over the rest of the dough and pinch closed.  Brush the top with olive oil so it will brown nicely.
12. Return the pizza stone and calzone to the oven and Bake at 450° for about 15 minutes.
13. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can cook your calzone on a baking sheet. You don’t even have to preheat it!

The dough recipe is what Brian and I always use for pizza.  Try it, it’s yummy!