Smoked Sausage Grilled Calzones — Another Pint Please

Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Kiolbassa Smoked Meats.

Grilled Calzone with Kiolbassa Beef Smoked Sausage_-3.jpg

I am thrilled once again to partner with my friends at Kiolbassa Smoked Meats for some grilling magic. Kiolbassa's bacon is in heavy use at my house, so it's fun to again collaborate with a company's products I genuinely enjoy.

In the last few months, I've starting grilling fewer pizzas and more calzones. I really can't explain the switch, but it's been well worth it. On a hot, humid day, it's a lot easier to work the calzone on and off the peel without disaster. Also, there is nothing like the taste of homemade crust, and with a calzone, since the dough is folded over, it's twice as much compared to a slice of pizza. Hello, carbs.

Like a pizza, a calzone is sometimes the "what's in the refrigerator" variety. Anything goes. However, when I started thinking about Kiolbassa's fully cooked sausages, I knew exactly what I wanted. A medley of red and green bell peppers, onion, fresh tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese punctuated by bites of meaty Kiolbassa Beef Smoked Sausage. Oh, and all of that wonderful fresh dough.

Kiolbassa is a family-owned business dating back to its 1949 San Antonio, Texas roots. Their products are readily available, which for me, means just a 5-minute drive to the grocery.

The main recipe for these Calzone's is on the Kiolbassa site. Below I've included the recipe, as well as some additional notes and photos to help you through the process.

Let's get grilling.

Smoked Sausage Grilled Calzones

Smoked Sausage Grilled Calzones
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by Mike Lang

prep time: 2 hours
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
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Dough
2/3 cup Water, warm
1 packet Active-dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups flour, more for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup Yellow onion, chopped
1/2 Red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped
1 Kiolbassa Smoked Meats Beef sausage, chopped
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, low moisture, shredded
1 tsp Dried oregano
1 Egg, beaten
Parmesean-Reggiano Cheese

Accessory: Baking stone

1. For the dough, place yeast and sugar in a large bowl of warm water. Allow to bloom, approximately 10 minutes.

2. Add flour, olive oil, and salt to the yeast slurry and mix until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth.

Note: To avoid kneading by hand, use a stand mixer or food processor. Pre-made dough also works. However, I really like to use a food processor. Mix all of the ingredients until the dough comes off the wall of the processor.

To make sure the dough is ready, perform the windowpane test. Stretch the dough between your fingers. Light should shine through without the dough splitting and looks like tiny windowpanes.

3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size.

4. Prepare a grill for indirect medium-high heat, 350º to 450º F. Place a baking stone on the grill over indirect heat, and allow to preheat for at least 15 minutes.

Note: My go-to pizza oven grill is the Weber Summit Charcoal. However, the kettle also works great. The key to using a baking stone is indirect heat. Coals directly under the stone will lead to a burnt crust, as it's just too much heat. To ensure direct heat, invert Char-baskets to keep the briquettes to the outside of the grill.

Inverted Char-Grill Baskets in Weber Kettle_.jpg

One chimney will put out about 400º F. For more heat, add more coals.

5. Return the dough to the counter and punch down. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle, approximately 16 inches wide.

6. Spread the pizza sauce on one half of the circle, leaving about 1 inch of space from the outer edge.

Note: Pizza Sauce. Anything will work, but homemade is best and easy. I always make more and store the leftovers in ice cube trays in the freezer. Four cubes are about a half-cup. Melt at room temperature or a minute in the microwave.