Whole wheat calzone pizza with beef, mushrooms and spinach

Ingredients:

Pizza

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup shredded semi-skimmed mozzarella
• 150 g lean ground beef
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• 70 g of mushrooms, thinly sliced ​​(about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups tightly packed baby spinach
• 1 can (400 g) of canned mashed tomatoes in their own juice (no added salt)
• 100% whole wheat pizza dough, recipe below
• White whole grain flour for dusting the work surface
• 1 large egg, beaten

Whole wheat pizza dough

• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp warm water (40-43°C)
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 cups white whole grain flour + extra for working with the dough
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Break the ground beef into large pieces with a wooden spatula. When the meat is browned on all sides, about 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, 2/3 of the garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. This mixture should be relatively dry. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil, garlic, and another pinch of red pepper flakes to the pan. Stir for 1 minute to lightly brown the garlic, then add the tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 6 minutes. Reheat this sauce when you're ready to serve the calzones.
4. Divide the pizza dough into 4 balls. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. On a well-floured work surface, roll each dough ball into a circle 6–7 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Place a quarter of the cooled meat filling on the bottom half of each circle, top with 3 tablespoons of mozzarella, fold the top half of the dough over the top, and pinch the edges to seal the filling. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the calzones to the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with beaten egg. Make 2 small slits in the surface of each calzone to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake the calzones in the oven on a hot pizza stone or baking sheet until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Serve with warmed tomato sauce.

6. Whole wheat pizza dough

   
   Combine warm water, honey, and yeast in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let sit until a thin layer of foam appears on top, about 3–5 minutes. If foam doesn't appear, discard and try again with fresh yeast.
   
   In a medium bowl, combine whole-wheat flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt; add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil and knead into a dough. Form the dough into a uniform ball in the center of the bowl. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl; it will be very sticky at this point. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
   
   Lightly flour a baking sheet. Generously flour a clean, dry work surface. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, adding just enough flour to make the dough less sticky but still damp to the touch. Flour your hands occasionally to prevent sticking. Form the dough into 1, 2, or 4 balls for large, medium, and small pizzas. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Alternatively, wrap the dough tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen dough at room temperature. Yield: 450 g pizza dough (serves 4)