Chef Tom's recipe for a Wood-Fired Calzone is an irresistible treat. Baked in a wood-fired oven, the homemade dough and savory fillings are complemented by plenty of cheese and a classic red sauce.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Resting the divided dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes firms them up, making them easier to roll into an even circle before filling
- Cooking the spinach in the same skillet the sausage was browned in, using the leftover fat, ties that vegetable's flavor back to the meat instead of wilting it in a clean pan
- Wetting the dough's border with water before folding it over the filling helps the two edges seal together, rather than risking the calzone opening up as it bakes
- Spinning the calzone 180 degrees partway through baking browns both sides evenly, since the side facing the fire cooks faster than the side facing away
Wood-Fired Calzone
Tom Jackson
Rated 3.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
6
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
1 hour 3 minutes
Calories
418
Chef Tom fires up the Clementi Wood-Fired Oven and bakes an amazing Wood-Fired Calzone, featuring scratch-made dough, mouth watering filling, cheese for days and a red sauce for dipping!
Ingredients
-
1 batch pizza dough (recipe here)
- 1 lb Italian Sausage
- 12 oz baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Tuscan Steak Seasoning
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 1 cup low moisture mozzarella, grated
-
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-
1 (28 oz) can Ciao Italian Tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
-
1/4 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt
For the tomato sauce:
Directions
- Divide the dough into three equal sized dough balls. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Build a fire in the Clementi Pulcinella Wood Fired Oven. Move the fire off to the left side of the deck. Add hickory wood to the fire to maintain a 450ºF temperature on the thermometer on the right side of the oven.
- To make the tomato sauce, combine all ingredients in a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet. Cook over low heat until reduced to desired consistency, about 20 minutes.
- Brown the sausage in a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet, over medium-high heat. Cook until browned and seared on the surface and the internal temperature surpasses 165ºF. Remove the sausage from the skillet, but leave behind the fat.
- Place the baby spinach in the skillet with the sausage fat. Cook until wilted. Remove from the skillet.
- Combine the ricotta, parsley and Cattleman’s Grill Tuscan Steak Seasoning in a bowl. Mix well.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12” wide circle.
- Place 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture on one half of the dough. Leave a 1” border around the edge of the dough.
- Top the ricotta with 1/3 of the cooked sausage and 1/3 of the cooked spinach. Then add two slices of provolone and 1/3 cup mozzarella.
- Wet the border of the dough with a little water. Fold the naked half of the dough over the fillings. Press the dough together at the edge. Crimp and fold the dough over itself to enclose the fillings. Cut a few vents in the top of the calzone.
- Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients to produce 3 calzones.
- Using a floured pizza peel, transfer the calzones to the right side of the wood fired oven (opposite the fire). Close the door on the oven and let cook until browned on the fire side, about 4 minutes. Spin the calzone 180º and continue cooking until the dough is fulled browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes total (these times are estimates and can vary depending on the grill/oven your are cooking in and the size and temperature of the fire/oven).
- Serve the Wood Fired Calzone with the tomato sauce on the side, for dipping.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why rest the divided dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling them out?
Chilling firms the dough up, making it easier to roll into an even 12-inch circle rather than working with dough that's too soft and springs back as you try to shape it.
Why cook the spinach in the same skillet the sausage was browned in?
Wilting the spinach in the leftover sausage fat ties its flavor back to the meat, rather than cooking it separately in a clean pan with no connection to the rest of the filling.
Why wet the border of the dough with water before folding it over the filling?
Moistening the edge helps the two sides of dough bond together once pressed and crimped, reducing the risk of the calzone splitting open and leaking filling as it bakes.
Why spin the calzone 180 degrees partway through baking instead of leaving it in one position?
The side facing the fire browns faster than the side facing away. Rotating it halfway through evens out that browning across the whole calzone.
What internal temperature should the Italian sausage actually reach?
This recipe browns it until the internal temperature surpasses 165°F, above the USDA minimum of 160°F for ground pork.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — a home oven with a pizza stone at its highest setting can bake this reasonably well, but reaching the high heat a wood-fired oven provides is difficult to replicate indoors, and you'll lose some char as a result.
Recipe Highlights
Chilled dough balls: Makes rolling into an even circle easier.
Fat-cooked spinach: Ties the vegetable's flavor back to the sausage.
Water-sealed border: Helps the dough bond and prevents splitting.
Mid-bake rotation: Evens out browning between the fire-facing and far sides.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 18.71 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 418
- Carbs
- 8 grams
- Protein
- 25 grams
- Fat
- 32 grams
- Sodium
- 663 milligrams
