Spooky Calzone Snake

Spooky Calzone Snake

from allrecipes.com
125 min
14 servings

I wanted to make some sort of spooky bread for Halloween and came up with the idea of baking a calzone in the shape of a snake. I combined egg yolks with food coloring (and made several colors) and painted it to make a colorful striped snake. It was a hit with the kids!

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
  • 1 (4 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup sliced black olives (Optional)
  • ½ green bell pepper, cut into strips (Optional)
  • ½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms (Optional)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Directions

  1. 1

    Dissolve sugar in warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle yeast over water, and let stand for 5 minutes until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Stir in oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour; mix on Low until the mixture forms a wet dough. With the machine running, add 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and knead until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl into a ball. Knead for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

  2. 2

    Lightly oil a large bowl; place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

  3. 3

    Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, pepperoni, parsley, Italian seasoning, olives, green pepper, and mushrooms in a large bowl; set aside.

  4. 4

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  5. 5

    Punch down dough; roll it out into a long, flat strip about 9 inches wide by 30 inches long. Spoon filling mixture down the center of dough strip, leaving about 1 inch on all sides for sealing. Pull edges of dough together; pinch to seal and form a long, filled roll. Place roll, seam-side down, onto the parchment paper in a snakey "S" shape, and tuck the ends underneath to seal. Beat egg in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water; brush egg wash over calzone.

  6. 6

    Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until calzone is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into individual slices.