Pizza: Mini Calzones

We all love pizza, but sometimes it's messy and hard to eat, especially if you're on the go. And if you have kids, pizza is a great lunch, but sometimes hard to pack. So instead of pizza, try whipping up some Mini Calzones. Think of them like pizza pops, only made in your own kitchen with stuff you probably have lying around anyway.


These little gems make great lunches for adults and children alike. Throw 2 or 3 in your own lunch and eat them at the office. These are guaranteed to please.


Ingredients


1 recipe for Basic Pizza Crust
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings of your choice
small bowl of water, room temperature
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, slightly beaten
garlic salt (optional)


Preparation


Mix the tomato sauce and the cheese with a spoon. Add other toppings of your choice. Pepperoni is common, but you might  like mushrooms, green peppers, or even ground beef. It's up to you. You can also add herbs such as basil and oregano to the cheese mixture.


Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Take one of these pieces and flatten it into a circle. You don't want the dough so thin that you can see through it, and you don't want it as thick as a pan crust pizza, but other than that the exact thickness is up to you. I like to flatten them into 6-inche circles.


Place some of the cheese mixture in the middle of the dough circle. Keep the mixture a ¼-inch away from the edge of the dough circle. Do not put more than about ⅛ cup of the cheese mixture into the center of a single circle. Even a little less than that. You don't want them bursting all over the oven, which is what will happen if you stuff them with too much cheese.


Using your finger, brush the edge of the dough circle with a little water. Water is basically like glue, but for dough. Fold the dough circle in half, encasing the cheese mixture, and press closed, trying to get out as much air as you can. You can use your fingers, but the calzones will look nicer if you use the tines of a fork to seal them. Press firmly, but not hard enough to go through the dough. You don't want to crush the edges, after all. Place the finished calzone on a prepared baking sheet, curving it slightly. Repeat this process for each piece of dough until you have 12 mini calzones.


Heat the oven to 375°F. Poke each calzone in the center with the same fork you used to seal the edges. Press hard enough that you go through the dough. Brush each calzone with the egg wash, covering all exposed dough. Sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired.


Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until calzones are golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes to avoid pizza burn, then serve.