Roasted Bell Pepper, Mushroom and Ricotta Calzones

1 recipe Mark Bittman’s pizza dough {recipe follows}

Filling

Adapted from Nummy Kitchen

2 cups ricotta cheese {homemade from 1 ltr of whole milk, 1/2 cup yogurt and 200ml low fat cream; recipe here}

4-5 red & yellow bell peppers, roasted and chopped

1 cup shredded mature cheddar {I didn’t have mozzarella, but this worked great}

200gms button mushrooms, finely chopped / sliced

4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

A handful fresh basil leaves

Extra Virgin Olive Oil { I used Borges from here}

Salt and Pepper

I got 6 medium sized calzones from the dough. You can even make 4 large ones.

Method:

Heat the olive oil gently with 1/2 -1 tsp of roasted chili flakes and chopped garlic. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté on high flame till the liquid evaporates. Add the chopped bell peppers with their juices and sauté again until dryish. {Not bone dry, but not drippy either, else they will make the calzone soggy}

Reserve in a large bowl until just warm. Now add the basil, grated cheddar and ricotta to this, stir well to mix. Adjust seasoning if required.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Divide the dough into 6 equal balls, and roll out into circles about 8 inches each, by rolling or patting the dough down.

Divide the filling equally among the six rolled out bits of dough. Fold over and pinch the sides to seal.

Bake for about 30 minutes until nice and risen, and brown. {You could give them an egg wash for a rich colour. I just gave them a brush of olive oil}

Cool for 5-7 minutes, and serve. {Be careful when you serve them to kids, as it might have hot air trapped within as they tend to puff up.}

Mark Bittman’s Pizza Dough

3 cups all-purpose plus more as needed

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling

1 to 1¼ cups water

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

Method:

Combine the yeast, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in the container of a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and the 2 tablespoons of oil through the feed tube.{I did this in a large bowl, using the hand mixer with dough hooks}

Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. {In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.}

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Grease a bowl with the remaining olive oil, and place the dough, in it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rise in warm; draft-free area until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. You can, cut this rising time short if you are in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours. {I made the dough at night and let it rise in the fridge overnight… and how it rose!!}

♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥