Spinach And Ricotta Calzone

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• flour, for rolling dough
• 5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 small fresh mozzarella ball, grated
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper (5 grinds)
• coarse cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water, about 110 degrees f
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• 1 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 dough.
• 2 in a small mixing bowl, whisk together yeast, warm water, sugar and olive oil. let sit for about 3 minutes to fully dissolve and activate the yeast.
• 3 in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
• 4 with a rubber spatula, gradually mix the yeast mixture into the flour until just combined and dough barely holds together. turn the dough out onto a clean counter surface dusted with flour.
• 5 knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until the dough has become smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. the surface should be tight and silky and bounce back slightly when pressed. lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it.
• 6 cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• 7 once doubled, punch the dough down and divide it into 2 equal pieces. knead each 1 slightly to form a uniform ball. set aside and cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to rest for 30 minutes.
• 8 cook's note: dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight once it is divided. keep covered tightly in plastic wrap or in a sealed food storage bag.
• 9 yield: 2 dough balls
• 10 preheat oven to 450 degrees f.
• 11 lightly dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour. roll the dough out into an 8 by 11-inch oval.
• 12 in a medium bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• 13 place all the filling on 1 half of the dough leaving a 3/4-inch border along the edge.
• 14 fold the remaining dough over the filling until the edges line up and pinch the edges together to seal. gently roll the pinched edges under to form a decorative rim.
• 15 place the calzone on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and brush the top with olive oil.
• 16 bake until golden brown and the center is hot and melted, 25 minutes, rotating midway through cooking.