Italian Homemade Calzone Recipe

This easy-to-make Calzone using pizza dough recipe has a number of recipe options that give you different ways to experience it, including lots of different bakeware options. Make 1 large or up to 6 smaller calzones.

Instructions

Option 1: If using Homemade Pizza Dough

If using Baking Sheet, Pizza Pan, or cast iron pan/skillet: Sprinkle out some corn meal on the bakeware & place dough in center. Lightly oil top of dough and gradually keep pressing it outward to bakeware edges, where possible. Excess dough is cut off.
If using Pizza Stone or Pizza Steel: Sprinkle out a good amount of flour on the countertop workspace. Hand press or roll out dough, turning over as needed.
14 ozs pizza dough

Option 2: If using Store Bought Premade Pillsbury Pizza Dough

If using Baking Sheet, Pizza Pan, or cast iron pan/skillet: Sprinkle out some corn meal on the pan, sheet, or skillet and unroll out the dough into it.
If using Pizza Stone or Pizza Steel: Sprinkle out some corn meal on the counter and unroll the pizza dough on top of the counter.

PREPARE OVEN

If preheating bakeware, insert in the oven now on 2nd from top shelf. Preheat oven to 500 °F.

MAKE THE CALZONE

Cook sausage, crumble it, and drain its oil. Add it in a mixing bowl with all the rest of the Calzone Mixture Ingredients. Mix by hand.
¾ lb pork sausage, 4 ozs pepperoni slices, 4 cups mozzarella cheese, 8 ozs ricotta cheese, ½ teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon cayenne red pepper, 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasonings
Add the Calzone Mixture to ½ side of rolled out dough (1 large dough or max 6 small ones). Then, fold empty side over to cover filled side. Firmly press to seal edges and to pack it down to about ¾-inch thick.
Coat the top with olive oil. Cut slits across the top about 1-2 inches apart. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese across top.
3 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

BAKE CALZONE and Serve

If baking on a Baking Sheet or Pizza Pan: Carefully transfer the Calzone onto the sheet or pan, and then they go into the oven.
If baking on a Pizza Stone/Steel: Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the pizza peel and scoop up the Calzone(s) from the counter workspace. Transfer onto the stone/steel in the oven.
Bake until light brown. Baking TIME guidelines: cast iron skillet/pan (20-24 minutes or preheated iron 16-22 minutes), thin metal pizza pan or baking sheet (21-23 minutes), pizza stone (16-20 minutes), ¼" pizza steel (12-16 minutes).
Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes before serving.

Italian Homemade Calzone Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

Calzone Mixture Ingredients

Calzone Dough Topping Ingredients