Recipe for a Calzone

by JoJo | Dec 13, 2021 | Recipes | 0 comments

Calzone How to Make

This is a thorough recipe of how to make Calzone at home. It includes the Calzone dough ingredients for making in a dough machine and all the step-by-step instructions of creating the Calzone for baking in the oven.

Homemade Calzone Easy Recipe Options

This homemade Calzone easy recipe has a number of options that gives you different ways to create it each time.

Calzone Dough Recipe Options

You can either use the easy premade store bought pizza dough you unroll or you can use the homemade Calzone dough ingredients (in this recipe) in a bread machine.

Calzone Baking Cookware Options

This Calzone recipe shows methods to make it for baking in different cookware. You might bake it in a pizza pan, pizza stone or a pizza steel.

Calzone Meat Options

There are a few options for changing your Calzone tastes each time. There is the classic sausage Calzone, the pepperoni Calzone, and the combination sausage with pepperoni Calzone recipe. When you do make the combination sausage and pepperoni Calzone, you will want to consider using half the amount of pepperoni (just 1 layer, either top or bottom) and reducing the sausage a small amount, usually cutting it down from 1 lb. to about 3/4 lb.

Calzone Cheese

There are several cheeses used in Calzone. They are mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan for Calzone with meat. For just cheese Calzone, cheeses can vary and can also include Provolone and Asiago cheeses. The recipe shows the amounts and how to apply each one.

Italian Homemade Calzone Recipe

JoJo

This easy-to-make Calzone recipe has a number of options that give you different ways to experience it, like sausage, pepperoni, cheese only, baked on a stone or pizza pan, and so on.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep 20 mins

Cook 20 mins

Resting Time 5 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 787kcal

Equipment

pizza pan or stone or steel

Bread Machine

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Ingredients

 

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Calzone Dough Ingredients for Bread Maker (or buy a lge 14-16 inch large pizza dough)

• ▢ 1 cup water lukewarm
• ▢ 1 tbsp sugar
• ▢ 2 tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2½ cups bread flour or all purpose flour
• ▢ 2½ tbsp vital wheat gluten OPTIONAL (for extra chewiness)
• ▢ ½ tsp active, dry yeast use quick rising (instant) or Bread Maker Yeast

Calzone Interior Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb pork sausage or 6 oz. pepperoni slices
• ▢ 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
• ▢ 1 cup ricotta cheese stirred well before measuring
• ▢ 3 tsp minced garlic or ½ amount garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp Red Cayenne Pepper or double amount if red pepper flakes
• ▢ ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
• ▢ 1 tbsp oregano
• ▢ ½ tbsp basil
• ▢ ½ tbsp rosemary

Calzone Exterior Topping Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded (for top of dough only)
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil

Serving With Marinara Sauce (or Spaghetti/Pizza Sauce)

Instructions

 

PREPARE THE CALZONE DOUGH (choose 1 option only)

Option 1: For Store Bought Premade Pillsbury Pizza Dough

• If using Pizza Pan: Sprinkle out some corn meal on the pizza pan and unroll out the dough into the pan.

  If using Pizza Stone or Pizza Steel: Sprinkle out some corn meal on the counter and unroll the pizza dough on top of that.

Option 2: For Homemade Calzone Dough in Bread Maker

• Make the dough: Add the dough ingredients (all in order, liquids first) to the bread maker and set it to "dough" setting. It will be done usually in about 2 hrs. Follow only one of the following options.

  Pizza Pan Option: Sprinkle out some corn meal on the pizza pan, place the dough in the center. Lightly oil the top of the dough and gradually keep pressing it outward to fill the entire pizza pan. Any excess dough can be used to make a border, or it can be cut off and discarded.

  Pizza Stone or Pizza Steel Option: Sprinkle out a good amount of flour on the countertop workspace and hand press outward (or roll out) the dough (and turn over as needed) to about 14"-16", circular or oval in shape. Add plenty of flour as needed.
  1 cup water, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2½ cups bread flour, 2½ tbsp vital wheat gluten, ½ tsp active, dry yeast

PREPARE THE OVEN

• If using a pizza stone or steel, insert it in the oven now at mid-shelf. Preheat the oven to 450^oF.

MAKE THE CALZONE

• If using sausage, cook it, and drain oil.
  1 lb pork sausage
• Use a hand mixer to combine all the Calzone Interior Ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using pepperoni instead of cooked sausage, do not add pepperoni to mixture.
  1 lb pork sausage, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 3 tsp minced garlic, ¼ tsp Red Cayenne Pepper, ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper, 1 tbsp oregano, ½ tbsp basil, ½ tbsp rosemary
• If cooked sausage was used: Staying on ½ side of rolled out dough, add and spread out Calzone mixture.

  If pepperoni is used: Staying on ½ side of rolled out dough, lay out pepperoni slices, followed by spreading out Calzone mixture, and finishing with top layer of pepperoni.
• Fold the empty ½ side of the dough over to cover the filled (other ½) side. Firmly press the edges downward to seal together. Use water as a sealant, if needed.
• Apply the exterior toppings. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.
  2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• Cut about 4-6 distributed, deep slits across the top.

BAKE THE CALZONE and Serve

• If baking on a Pizza Pan: Put the pan into the oven.

  If baking on a Pizza Stone/Steel: Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the pizza peel and scoop up the Calzone from the counter workspace. Transfer it onto the stone/steel in the oven. See the blog article for details of 2 transfer methods.
• Bake 18-22 minutes, until light-medium brown. Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes before cutting into 12 pieces for serving.

Notes

CHEESE CALZONE

For Cheese Calzone, omit the meat and replace with only one of the following cheese choices:

• 8 ounces of shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces of shredded Parmesan cheese and 4 ounces of Provolone cheese
• 4 ounces of shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 ounces of shredded Provolone cheese, and 2 ounces of shredded Asiago cheese

SERVING

• Serve with warmed pizza/spaghetti sauce or a marinara.
• Great with coleslaw, tossed salad, or simple green salad.
• Using the mixer for combining all the internal ingredients is a huge help as it’s a very thick mixture.

Nutrition

Calories: 787kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1714mg | Potassium: 368mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 715IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 459mg | Iron: 2mg

SOURCE

DarnGoodRecipes.com™

Calzone Questions and Tips

How do you transfer the Calzone from the counter workspace to the Pizza Stone or Pizza Steel in the oven?

This is an acquired skill and I have successfully accomplished all the mistakes possible, even after watching dozens of online videos showing different kitchen and commercial ways. So, here are 2 ways that have all been successfully repeated and they might help you. There are other methods but, I’m not listing any methods that worked only some of the time.

First off, you have to have a Pizza Peel. It can be wooden or metal. Both methods of transference require it.

Build the Calzone on the Peel Method

This one works well if you just have a wooden peel and can’t scoop with it. It also works just fine with a metal peel. On this one, you have your pizza dough pressed/rolled out on the counter workspace. Then, you sprinkle lots of corn meal on the pizza peel (about 1-1/2 Tbsp.) and you hand spread it out to distribute it somewhat evenly. Pick up the pizza dough and drag it onto the peel. It will lose its shape so you make adjustments to fix that. Then, you rapidly build the Calzone while it’s on the peel. Now, this next step is very important.

While just before and during building your Calzone, you’ll want to pick up the peel (every couple of minutes) and give it a short front-and-back shake to ensure the the dough doesn’t stick to the peel. Finally, when you’re ready to transfer it to the preheated pizza stone or pizza steel in the oven, give it one last forward-and-back shake to ensure it doesn’t stick to the peel. When the Calzone is fully built, it’s heavier so it will take a much stronger and firmer shake so, be aggressive and confident (holding it over the countertop) for that final strong but brief shake.

If you experience any issues and it sticks to the peel during a test shake (you tried it twice), you have no options but to set the peel back on the counter. Then, with some corn meal in one hand, lift underneath the pizza dough and pull up to “tuck sprinkle” more corn meal under that section. Repeat for all 4 sides and when you lift up each section, try to get close to the center but you don’t have to get to it. Then, try a real good shake again and chances are that it will slide very well. You can then readjust the dough shaping.

When performing the actual transfer to the oven, you can do a lighter downward shake to slip it onto the stone/steel in the oven.

Scoop, Shake, and Transfer Method

This method requires a pretty good metal pizza peel that has 3 things:

• a thin, tapered end for a good scooping action
• has perforations (holes or open slits)
• has some beveled, raised rows

The tapered end helps you get under the dough at the start of the scooping action. The holes or open slits will help reduce dough contact areas. It also lets excess corn meal fall through onto the counter during test shakes and don’t get as much onto the stone/steel during the actual transfer into the oven. Regarding the beveled wide strips, because of the angles on each row, it prevents dough contact with the peel in more areas. And, if it gets stuck, it has a much better tendency to free itself up significantly easier during a shake.

Is there a difference between Pizza dough and Calzone dough?

No. However, some will modify their pizza dough recipe knowing it will be used for Calzone. For example, some might use a little more or less yeast. Or, sometimes they make a larger quantity of dough so it will be thicker than for a thin pizza.

Due to the many ways to make pizza dough, some have other changes to the pizza dough ingredients used.

Another way that some make it different is that some people will put a sparse, thin tomato sauce and herbs/spices on top before baking the Calzone.

Is a Calzone just a folded Pizza?

No. Even though there are some similarities in making it, there is no sauce inside a Calzone. The folding idea is just a perception in watching it being made. The contents are a little different, and after folding over the dough, it’s sealed shut with slits cut in the top, like a pie. Calzones are usually dipped in a sauce when eating.

Why is there no sauce in a Calzone?

Because the formal manner is to put a very thin layer of sauce atop before it’s baked. Also, Calzones are often eaten by dipping in a sauce. Calzones weren’t intended to be considered a different kind of pizza.

Q: Are Calzones fried or baked?

A: Either; however, baked is very popular.

What do they call a fried Calzone?

It’s called a Panzerotti. These are usually small and handheld. They’re also nicknamed as “fried pizzas” and sometimes do consist of mostly just mozzarella cheese and a sauce.

How do you seal a Calzone after folding over the dough?

Usually, just with routine firm pressure but sometimes, applying a bit of water (which acts like an adhesive) will seal it shut very well.

How do you keep Calzones from getting soggy?

Ensure the oven’s fully preheated before baking. Applying a light coating of olive oil on the dough bottom and top will give it a crispness.

Visit our DarnGoodRecipes.com site often for the latest recipes. Here’s a good simple green salad to go with this Calzone.