Originating from Naples, a calzone is a folded pizza, usually enclosing a filling of ham or salami, ricotta and Parmesan. My version features sweet-sour cucumber, which pairs well with the ricotta. It is a fine-crusted calzone, offering plenty of filling in relation to the dough. Do give it a go.
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE, 4 AS A STARTER
For the crust
10g fresh yeast
185ml tepid water
325g ‘type 55’ flour, plus extra for dusting
12g fine salt
12ml light olive oil
For the filling
1 small cucumber
100ml white wine vinegar
50g caster sugar
300g ricotta
50g fines herbes (flat-leaf parsley, chives, chervil), roughly snipped
40g basil, snipped
25g baby capers, rinsed in cold water and dried well
12 semi-confit cherry tomatoes
30g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For the crust, dissolve the yeast in the water in a small bowl. Put the remaining ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast mixture and mix for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, bring the dough from the sides to the middle and mix again until the dough is smooth. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
For the filling, peel the cucumber, halve lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then cut into long batons and place in a bowl. Bring the wine vinegar to the boil in a pan over a medium heat and stir in the sugar. Pour over the cucumber and leave to marinate for 5 minutes. Drain the cucumber, place on a lightly dampened tea towel, cover and set aside to cool. Put the ricotta, herbs, capers and tomatoes into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix together gently.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and ‘knock back’, using one hand to fold the dough back in on itself until the air is knocked out. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a circle, 28cm in diameter. Flour lightly, then wrap it around the rolling pin and unravel onto a cold baking sheet. Using your fingertips dipped in flour, push the dough outwards to stretch it into a thin, even disc.
Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the dough, leaving a 5cm clear margin around the edge. Tip the ricotta and tomato mixture onto one side of the circle and brush cold water around the margin of the half without any filling. Place the cucumber batons over the filling, spacing them evenly and pushing them into the filling.
Bring the plain half of the dough over the filling and press the edges together. Pinch between your lightly floured thumb and forefinger, giving the border a quarter-turn inwards every centimetre to create a plaited effect and to seal it well. Bake for 25 minutes. Slide onto a wire rack and leave to cool for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a board or platter and cut into portions at the table.