Sausage and Ricotta Calzone
A folded, sealed pizza that eats like a hot pocket with better bread — crisp outside, molten ricotta and sausage inside.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min (plus 1½ hr rise)
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
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Whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar together and let stand until foamy on top, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil, then knead by hand or with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
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Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1½ hours.
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Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains, about 6 minutes, then let cool.
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Stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, oregano, and cooled sausage; season with salt and pepper.
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Set a pizza steel or stone on the top oven rack and heat the oven as high as it goes, at least 500°F, for 45 minutes before baking.
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Punch down the dough and divide it into four balls; let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
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On a floured counter, stretch one ball into a 9-inch round, then spoon a quarter of the filling onto one half, leaving a bare border.
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Fold the dough over the filling into a half-moon and crimp the edge tightly, pressing out any air pockets, then transfer to a cornmeal-dusted peel.
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Brush the top with beaten egg and cut two small steam vents, then slide onto the hot steel and bake until deeply browned and blistered, 12 to 15 minutes.
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Let rest 5 minutes before cutting open — the ricotta stays lava-hot longer than the crust suggests. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
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Serve with warmed crushed tomatoes on the side for dipping.
Notes
The crimp matters more than the stretch here — a thin spot or a loose seam is where the filling boils out and scorches on the steel. Press the edge with a fork if your fingers aren’t sealing it fully shut, and don’t overfill; a slightly stingy hand with the ricotta is what keeps the fold closed.
Leftover calzones reheat better than the pizza does: 10 minutes at 450°F on a rack brings the crust back to crisp without drying out the filling, where a microwave turns the crust to rubber.