European Recipes:Italian recipes: Calzone with Four Cheeses, Eggplant And Basil

EGGPLANT MIXTURE

7 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts

DOUGH

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 envelope dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups (or more) bread flour
EGGPLANT MIXTURE

Drain eggplant and pat dry. Heat half of garlic-oil mixture in heavy
large skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and saute until
tender, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add vinegar and
cook until almost no liquid remains in skillet, about 1 minute.
Season to taste with pepper. Transfer to large bowl.

Heat 1 teaspoon garlic-oil mixture in heavy small skillet over
medium heat. Add pine nuts and saute until golden, about 2
minutes. Add to eggplant. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and
refrigerate remaining garlic-oil mixture and eggplant mixture
separately. Bring to room temperature before using.)

DOUGH
Place 1/4 cup warm water in bowl of heavy-duty mixer; sprinkle
yeast over and stir to dissolve. Let stand 10 minutes. Add remaining
3/4 cup water, oil, salt and then 3 cups flour; stir to combine.
Attach dough hook to mixer and beat until dough pulls away from
sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Turn out dough onto lightly floured
surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if
sticky, about 10 minutes.

Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover with
plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in
volume, about 1 hour. While dough rises, begin preparation for
assembly and baking.

ASSEMBLY AND BAKING

1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 3.5-ounce log soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 ounce)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Fresh basil sprigs

Position rack in lowest third of oven. Place baking stone, baking
tiles or heavy large rimless baking sheet on rack in oven. Preheat
oven to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Mix cheeses together in bowl.

Punch dough down. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll out 1 dough piece on
lightly floured surface to 8-inch round. Brush dough with some of
garlic-oil mixture, leaving 1-inch border. Spread 1/4 of cheese
mixture over half of dough, leaving 1-inch border. Cover cheese
with 1/4 of eggplant mixture, 1/4 of bell pepper and 1/4 of sliced
basil leaves. Brush edges of dough with water. Fold dough in half,
covering filling but allowing bottom edge of dough to show. Fold
bottom edge over top edge and crimp to seal. Repeat with
remaining dough, garlic-oil mixture, cheese mixture, eggplant
mixture, bell pepper and sliced basil leaves, forming total of 4
calzones. Cover calzones and let stand 15 minutes.

Using large metal spatula, transfer calzones to stone or preheated
baking sheet in oven. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 12
minutes. Transfer calzones to platter. Garnish with basil sprigs and
serve.