Pizza Stromboli

For supper, I decided to try something a little different than the usual pizzas we make. I found a recipe for what was called "Family-Style Stromboli". It appeared to be a pizza in jelly-roll form. It seemed interesting and tasty enough, so I decided to give it a try. I just used the dough recipe for the crust, and chose fillings to please my family. The original recipe used more vegetables in their filling and less pizza meats than I did. The result was even better than I had expected! This is a very nice dough to work with - it is soft and easy to shape, doesn't tear easily, and when baked, is soft and fluffy. The toppings baked nicely into the crust (I recommend using lots of cheese), and the roll cut well. I would definitely make this again in place of pizza any day - it is quicker and actually easier, and I might just argue that it is tastier too!

Pizza Stromboli
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 package quick-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup warm water
3 Tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix 1 cup flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water then oil, mix until well blended. Stir in 1/4 cup of the remaining flour at a time, working the flour in to make a soft dough. Spread dough into a large rectangle (about 16x9 inches) on the prepared baking sheet.
Spread dough with a modest amount of pizza sauce, and sprinkle with your favorite toppings (sliced meats, finely chopped vegetables, grated cheese, etc.) Go easy on the toppings, too many and they will just fall out and the roll will not roll properly.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden. Let the roll rest for 10 minutes (if you can) before slicing, it will make much neater slices instead of just falling apart.

German Pancake

Here is a quick and appealing alternative to regular pancakes: a German Pancake, also called a Dutch Baby Pancake. It is not completely clear as to whether this dish first originated in Germany, Holland, or somewhere else entirely. It is a large, puffy cross between a pancake and a souffle. Usually the miniature versions of these baked in individual-sized pans are referred to as "Dutch Babies" and the larger-size designed to serve many became known as  "German Pancakes". Whatever you want to call it, this dish is good! It is also very simple and quick to make, and is a great alternative to pancakes, which require cooking carefully in batches and paying close attention to ensure they do not overcook. This pancake is poured into a preheated skillet, then put into the oven at a high temperature for a short time to create a puffy, golden pancake. This large pancake forms high sides on the edges, leaving an open center that may be filled with a variety of fillings. Fresh fruit, chutneys, preserves, maple syrup, or simply powdered sugar are all great fillings. I found this recipe in a magazine.

German Pancake
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Heat oven to 425◦F. In a blender, puree the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and salt until well combined.
Heat a medium or large (9 to 10 inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Add the batter, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

I served my pancake with a simple apple compote. I melted a tablespoon of butter and added 3 large apples, peeled and coarsely chopped, with 1/2 cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. I boiled this mixture until it was thickened and the apples were soft, but still held their shape. Delicious!

 "German Pancake.”  http://www.womansday.com/recipefinder/german-pancake-recipe-122888?click=recipe_sr. Woman's Day, n.d. Sunday, December 18, 2011. 

Calzones

Tonight for supper I made calzones, which are also known as pizza pockets and panzerottis. Basically you make pizza dough, divide it into individual servings, top half of it with pizza toppings, fold it over, enclose, and bake. I got the recipe from Betty Crocker's "Low-Fat Low-Cholesterol" cookbook. They were quite good, nice and crisp. I made two batches: one with all white flour and one with half whole wheat flour. They both turned out well. Here is the original recipe.

Whole Wheat Calzones
1 package regular or quick active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (105◦ to 115◦)
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 egg white, beaten

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, oil and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover with bowl and let rest 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 375◦F. Spray cookies sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Pat each piece into 8-inch circle on lightly floured surface, turning dough over occasionally to coat with flour. Top half of each circle with toppings. Fold dough over toppings; fold up and pinch securely to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Brush with egg white. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Toppings for calzones can be just about anything, not just traditional pizza toppings. Calzones are known to be made with more vegetable fillings too, such as ratatouille or other vegetable blends. The key to successful calzones is not to over fill them: place the filling only over half of the circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around. Don't pile toppings on too high either. One of the reasons vegetable and stir-fry mixtures are often used in calzones is because they don't use sauces, which leak out and burn easily if piled on too high.

Crocker, Betty. "Whole Wheat Calzones." Recipe. Low-Fat Low-Cholesterol, New York: MacMillan, 1991. 120.