Kale and Spinach Calzones

When my husband and I were dating, we ate a lot of spinach calzones at Andolini’s Pizza in Charleston, South Carolina. We have such a positive association with them. 🙂 When I made these calzones with my daughter the other night, she commented that this was her FAVORITE dinner, ever! Yay! Although, unlike the rest of ours, my picky eater’s calzone was filled with corn and cheese (her favorite combination…). She helped me roll out all of the crusts, add the fillings, and seal the pockets. Such a great helper! 🙂 I make my dough in a bread machine, but I also included countertop directions below.

Yield: Makes 4 calzones

For the Filling:

• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced into half rings
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 cups greens (or more) such as kale, spinach, or chard, cut into ribbons with tough stems removed
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
• ricotta cheese, to taste, optional
• red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the crust:

• 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/8 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 T cornmeal
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour

For Serving:

• marinara sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, preferably with a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven.
2. Make the Filling: Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook for 1 minute more before adding the greens, salt and pepper. Cook until wilted and set aside.
3. Make the Crust: Bread Machine Method: Add liquid ingredients to a bread machine and layer with the dry ingredients on top. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add yeast. Set on dough setting. Countertop Method: Combine the water and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand 3 minutes. Stir in sugar and 1/2 tsp salt until dissolved. Add the olive oil. Stir in flours and cornmeal until combined. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, about 3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let stand at room temperature (or place in a proofing oven) for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
4. When dough is ready, punch it down and divide into 4 equal pieces. Work each into a smooth, round shape, about 10 inches in diameter.
5. Layer filling ingredients over one half of each crust, starting with the mozzarella cheese, then the greens, topped with ricotta cheese.
6. Fold the top crust over to form a semi-circular pocket. Seal the edge with your fingers or with the tines of a fork. Repeat. Prick vent holes into the top of each crust.
7. Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
8. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Terrific Low-Fat Lasagna
• Chicken Parm Meatballs

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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