Cheese Calzone with NY Style Dough

1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
pinch of black pepper
NY Style Pizza Dough

Preheat oven to 500F. Take a 6 oz. dough ball and place on floured surface. Spread,
with finger tips, to a 6 inch circle. Place 2/3 cup cheese mix on one side and fold over other side. Seal with finger tips making sure no cheese mixture is in the seal.

Pinch the edge to assure a tight seal. Pat calzone to even filling inside. Check seal again for leaks. Repeat with the others. Place calzones on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut a 1 inch slit in the top of each for venting while baking.

Place in center of oven and bake for 10−12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce, warmed, either on top or on the side for dipping.

NY Style Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water (105F)
4 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 1/2 teas. sugar
2 1/2 teas. salt
1/2 teas. yeast

In a large bowl, mix water with sugar and salt until dissolved. Add oil, and then flour. Stir with heavy spoon for 1 minute. Turn out to a floured board and press into a circle (it will be quite dry). Sprinkle yeast evenly over dough and knead for twelve minutes.

Divide dough into portions:

6 oz. for Calzones, 10 oz. for 9 inch, 18 oz. for 12 inch, 25 oz. for 15 inch
(This recipe makes about 34 oz. Adjust ingredient amounts for your purposes)

Shape each portion by sliding your palms across the top portion of dough while curving your fingers inward toward each other and "tucking" the dough into the center. You want a dough ball without visible seams except the bottom. Set formed dough balls on plate, cover with plastic, and allow to proof for 1−2 hours at room temperature to use the same day, or store in refrigerator to use the next day. To stretch dough, place dough ball on lightly floured surface, and lightly flour the top. Use fingertips to evenly flatten out the dough ball. Work from the edges to the center. Place both hands within the shell edge and stretch with fingertips and palms maintaining an even pressure. Or, use a lightly floured rolling pin to stretch to desired shape.

Cooking pizzas with this dough should be done on a baking stone. Using a pan will produce a very soft "doughy" crust. The stone in the oven should be preheated to 500F for an hour prior to baking, and should be placed in the middle of the oven. After stretching the dough, liberally sprinkle cornmeal or semolina on pizza peel (a wooden paddle with a handle to slide the pizza in the oven) or a cutting board. The cornmeal allows the pizza to slide onto the stone easily. After topping the pizza, when you are ready to cook it, pick up an edge of the dough and lightly blow air underneath. This will loosen any sticky areas under the dough and redistribute the cornmeal. Shake the peel or cutting board to make sure none of the dough is sticking. Carefully slide the pizza into the oven.