Preparation

• Let’s prepare the starter dough.

  In a bowl, sift the flour for the starter dough.

  Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the water and add it to the flour. Mix with one hand until a dough forms. Cover the bowl very well with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.

  Let’s prepare the dough.

  In a large bowl, put the starter dough (which, in the meantime, will have doubled its volume), half the water, and half of the sifted flour. Begin to knead coarsely.

  Then add the rest of the water and flour, the salt, and the oil, and knead until you get a soft dough, easy to work with. Personally, I prefer to work the dough in the bowl to avoid adding more flour.

  If the dough seems too stiff, add a few teaspoons of water, without overdoing it, until the desired consistency is achieved.

  Let it rest for about 30 minutes, covered with a bowl, i.e., under a container. After the time has passed, take the dough and divide it into 8 pieces, roughly the same weight, roll them up and form balls that we will let rise for a couple of hours or until doubled.

  Now we can focus on the filling. Wash and remove the outer tougher leaves from the artichokes, then cut off the tip of the artichoke. Cut them in half, remove any internal choke and slice them thinly.

  Also clean the stems, remove the tougher outer part, and cut them into pieces.

  In a non-stick pan, sauté the onion. When it’s well sautéed, add the artichokes, stems, marjoram, and sauté everything for a few minutes. Pour in the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Salt and pour in the hot water, cover and let the artichokes cook over low heat until they become tender but not mushy. Let them cool, draining them perfectly from the cooking juice, and then mix them with the ricotta and grated cheese; set the obtained mixture aside.

  Now let’s form the calzones. Take the risen and soft balls and roll them out with your hands, trying to form a circle (using a little flour on your hands for help).

  You can also use a rolling pin, but do not press the dough too much. On half of the calzone, place a spoonful of artichoke and ricotta mixture, close by overlapping the other half, press the edges with your fingertips to prevent the filling from leaking out, and open a small hole on the calzone: this will allow the steam to escape and prevent excessive puffing. Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You can bake them immediately, in a preheated oven at 428°F, on the lowest rack, for about 12-15 minutes at most. In this case, the texture will be crunchier.

  Instead, once filled, you can let them rise for a couple more hours and bake them with the same methods described above. In this other case, the calzones will be puffier and will have a softer texture.