It is no secret that for the best, most flavorful pizza crust you should be using overnight fermentation. This method of delayed fermentation, which takes place in the cool interior of the fridge, is used by Americas most popular pizza spots and bakers alike- because who doesn’t want the most flavorful crust possible?
So while preparing for pizza night should ideally be done beforehand, I know that for a lot of working parents and busy people it just isn’t always ideal. I wanted to create a pizza dough recipe that could be both- a make-it-bake-it dough with the added ability to sit it the fridge and get better with time. This dough recipe is at its best after 24 hours in the fridge; the flavors are more complex and the finished crust is that much more pillowy and chewy. BUT it stills tastes incredible after only three hours rest on the counter- that means you can choose to make it and eat it same day!
This is a Neapolitan Pizza dough and calzone recipe in one. For calzones, I simply like to stretch the dough a little thicker so it can hold the extra fillings and cheese! While the pizza and calzones both cook in about 5 minutes at the highest oven setting, I find the calzones need an extra minute or two to get perfectly golden. Just keep an eye on them because they do bake fast!
TIP: Try brushing the top of the calzone with olive oil and coarse Himalayan salt, or adding a couple dabs of butter, the result is incredible!
Both are prepared with flour, water, salt, and yeast; that’s the solution. In contrast, the eggs and olive oil used in most calzone dough give it a deeper flavor and a softer texture. Eggs and oil are not common ingredients in pizza dough, contributing to its crispiness and durability.
What is Neapolitan Pizza Dough?
Traditional Neapolitan Pizza has a thicker, chewier crust and thin centre crust. Compare it to New York Style pizza, whose crust is thin and crisp, and has a thicker centre crust- more apt for holding up those mountains of cheese. Our Neapolitan crust once baked, will be golden and have slightly charred spots, and have a crust that you actually want to eat and not just throw to the side.
The special method for getting the perfect dough texture is called Stretch and Fold. This method strengthens the dough and helps develop the gluten network in the dough- essentially getting the the same benefits of longer kneading in a fraction of the time. After each stretch and fold you will notice the dough immediately strengthen and firm up, becoming a soft ball with lovely texture.
I learned this technique from Peter Reinhards book- Artisan Breads Every Day. While it might seem a bit of an extra step- it is extremely easy to master and really fun to do! You’ll find yourself wanting to stretch and fold all your homemade breads!
Once we have mixed all the dough ingredients together and let the flour hydrate for 5 minutes, we’ll scrape the dough out onto an oiled surface.
- Rub your hands in the oil to help prevent sticking.
2. Start by reaching your hands under the front end of the dough. Pull the dough out from underneath and stretch it up over the top of the dough..
3. Repeat on the opposite side- reach under the dough, gently grab a portion and pull it towards you, stretching it up and over the top off the dough.
4. Move on to the side of the dough and reach under about halfway, pull out the dough and stretch it up and over.
5. Repeat with the fourth side. You only need to do this once on each side of the dough, then flip the whole thing over and tuck it into a ball. the stretch and fold method in action
If you don’t own a baking stone, you can turn a baking sheet upside down – dust it with flour or place a baking paper on top before sliding on the pizza.
If you don’t own a pizza peel, you can use a wooden cutting board. Flour it well so the pizza can easily slide off onto the baking sheet.
This recipe makes 6 individual sized pizzas or large calzones…and because of the beauty of overnight fermentation you can take a couple out to bake on Sunday, Monday, and then on Tuesday as well! Fresh pizzas all week!
Don’t be put off by the long instruction list- once you learn to make this dough, the second time will be a breeze, and you will have the most incredible airy pizza dough ever. Enjoy!!
Manage the dough in the same manner as you do your pizza dough. Form into circles (like pizza skins) of the desired size, lightly wet the edges with water, apply filling (A base of 50% Mozzarella and 50% Ricotta cheese with some fresh leaf basil, and a little sun dried tomato makes for a great base filling to which the “desired” filling ingredients will be added. Fold in half, crimp and/or rol the edges, cut three or four slits across the top as vents, brush with liquid whole milk, or garlic butter and bake on a screen or solid baking disk. As soon as the calzone comes out of the oven brush with the garlic butter again and sprinkle on a mix of powdered Parmesan and Romano cheese, cut in half with a diagonal cut and serve with a dipping sauce (garlic butter, ranch dressing, or marinara sauce). Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
Most operatore will use the same dough (their regular pizza dough) for making all three. There are a few shops that specialize in making stromboli and calzones. These doughs tend to be a little richer than your average pizza dough. Here is a dough formula pretty representative of what I’m talking about. Flour (regular pizza flour): 100% Salt: 2% Sugar: 3% Olive oil: 5% Whole eggs: 5% Yeast (fresh/compressed): 2% Water: 50 to 52%
Pizza and Calzone Dough Homemade and EASY
FAQ
Can I use pizza dough for calzone reddit?
What is calzone dough made of?
Is a calzone just a folded pizza?
What’s the difference between calzone and stromboli pizza dough?
Can you use bread dough for Calzone?
Can you use bread dough for making calzone? Yes, you can use homemade, leftover bread dough for making calzone, yet, this will be way more different than classic Italian calzone. mama-cucina.com is a participant in the Amazon Associate program and will earn from qualifying purchases.
Is calzone dough different than pizza dough?
As stated earlier, the calzone dough is not different than pizza dough. You can use any pizza dough to make calzone, yet the authentic Neapolitan pizza dough with 60-70% hydration ( water to flour ratio) will be the best.
What is a calzone pizza?
The word calzone is Italian and calzones were first created in Naples, Italy where the translation of the word “calza” which means stocking so it’s meant to be like a pizza filled with food like a stocking. The best part is all the delicious melted cheese that stays inside with the crispy crust both on top and on the bottom.
What are calzones & how do you make them?
Calzones are the original hot pockets but better with a homemade Pizza Dough, homemade (EASY) Pizza Sauce and with sides of ranch dressing (see recipe below) and easy marinara sauce you can make these calzones for a crowd as appetizers or for easy weeknight dinners.