PIZZA: Italian Calzone Pizza

Ricotta and prosciutto is classic in calzone, but you can experiment with bits of your favorite salami. Italian cuisine allows for self-expression, so use a recipe as a starting point and create your own.
Prepared pizza dough, risen

Ricotta & Prosciutto Stuffing

• 1 cup ricotta, whole milk or part skim
• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese in 1/4 inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 ounces prosciutto, in 1/4 inch dice(about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

METHOD
STUFFING
n a large bowl mix together ricotta, mozzarella, prosciutto, cheese and basil. Grate pepper to taste over all. Stir to combine. Set aside.
CALZONE
Punch down dough. Cut in half. Shape into two balls. Press each ball with palm of hand to make a disc shape. Lightly flour both work surface and dough. Roll dough with a rolling pin to 1/8 inch thickness and 12 inches diameter. Sprinkle flour on dough - lightly- as needed to prevent sticking.

Put filling on one half the disc, leaving a half inch border around the edges. Brush border with water, fold dough, and press wet edges together. Use fork or knife to puncture top of calzone to allow steam to escape in cooking. Bake on middle rack of preheated 450°F oven until calzone has a deep golden color, about 30 minutes. (Recipe with thanks: www.inmamaskitchen.com)