Create Your Own Calzone
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.Calzones are the most wonderful, steamy, pillowy pockets of melted cheese and savory fillings, and I adore them. Plus, when I’m running low on groceries, I still almost always have dough ingredients, some sort of cheese, and some sort of meat or veggies that would go well on a pizza. So, I can usually whip up a delicious calzone for dinner, and no one knows that I’m behind on my meal planning.
My recipe includes a soft from-scratch dough and the instructions to make a delicious calzone filled with any of your favorite fillings, but is totally versatile besides that! All you need to know is how to prep your filling ingredients, which I’ll talk about next under “recipe notes”. Also, if you’re in need of some calzone filling inspo, I’ll provide a delicious list of suggestions below.
Recipe Notes:
Fillings: When deciding what fillings to use, almost anything that you might see on a pizza would make a great calzone filling! However, since the filling is encased within the cheese and crust and not able to release liquid as easily as it would be if it were on top of a pizza, you’ll want to cook most fillings before putting them in the dough. Basically every fresh vegetable except mushrooms should be fully cooked before using as a filling (though cooking mushrooms also won’t hurt), and any and all proteins should definitely be fully cooked as well. Anything that’s pickled or marinated (like olives, artichoke hearts, etc.) should be fine thrown right in as is, as long as it’s thoroughly drained.
Cheese: As a big cheese lover, I wouldn’t argue with just about any kind of cheese that you want to put in your calzone. However, when I’m making mine, I like to go for a combination of something very melty and something very flavorful. Mozzarella is an obvious choice for a calzone filling, and is wonderfully melty. However, colby jack, monterey jack, pepper jack, and muenster are also melty favorites of mine. I also like to add a sharp cheddar, gouda, or parmesan for some extra cheesy flavor, since a lot of the meltier cheeses are very mild. Some people also like to add a cream cheese or ricotta to their calzone, and I think that works great too! Just keep in mind that your filling will likely be a bit more loose and messy when your finished calzone is cut if you opt for a creamy cheese.
Calzone size: This recipe can also be used to make smaller, individual calzones for 4 people. This is a great option if everyone in your group wants different fillings, and can be a fun idea for a little twist on a pizza-making party! When making individual calzones, all you need to do is decrease the baking time. I would start off by baking for 10 minutes and then give them a check, and if they aren’t yet browned and crispy, bake for intervals of 2 minutes until they’re done to your liking.
Sauce: I know that a lot of people are fans of putting some sauce inside their calzone, and it’s absolutely fine if that’s your preference! But personally, I find that it creates a bit of a soggier calzone and makes it less of a portable, easy-to-eat food. So, I prefer to have sauce as a dip on the side. This also gives more opportunity for mixing and matching fun flavor combinations because you can have more than one kind of sauce with your calzone! However, I am a fan of a small drizzle of pesto or balsamic reduction inside just to add a little extra touch of flavor, since those types of sauces aren’t super wet like a marinara or alfredo.
Filling suggestions:
Cheesy Broccoli: Cheddar and colby jack cheeses, sauteed broccoli and onion
Meat Lovers: Mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, pepperoni, bacon, and ground beef
Mediterranean: Mozzarella and feta cheeses, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sauteed cherry tomatoes and red onion
Spinach and Mushroom: Mozzarella, asiago, and parmesan cheeses, sauteed spinach and mushrooms
Chicken Artichoke: Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, grilled chicken, marinated artichoke hearts, sauteed spinach and onion
Caprese: Mozzarella cheese, sauteed tomatoes and basil leaves, sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, drizzle of balsamic reduction
Kale and Onion: Mozzarella and goat cheese, caramelized onions, sauteed kale with balsamic
Supreme: Mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan cheeses, sauteed onion, mushroom, and bell pepper, black olives, Italian sausage, pepperoni
Buffalo Chicken: Cheddar, mozzarella, and blue cheeses, shredded chicken mixed with buffalo sauce, sauteed red onion and spinach
Taco: Cheddar and colby jack cheeses, seasoned ground beef, black olives, sauteed onion, bell peppers, and tomato
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
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Step 1:
Make Dough
In a large bowl, combine a large pinch of sugar, ½ cup of warm water, and 1 ½ teaspoons of yeast.
Set aside until yeast has bloomed and top is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add another ¼ cup warm water, 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, OR let dough knead in an electric mixer with a dough hook for 8 minutes on medium speed.
Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in it, flipping once to coat the whole ball of dough in oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size, about one hour. Proceed to step 2 while dough is rising.
Step 2:
Prep Fillings
While dough is rising, it’s time to prep the fillings. Start by shredding 2 cups of your choice of cheeses (see note).
Next, cook 1 ½ cups of any fillings of your choice that need to be cooked (see note). Measure ingredients after cooking, since most will shrink as cooked.
Also mince 3-5 cloves of garlic, or measure out a tablespoon of pre-minced garlic.
Step 3:
Fill Calzone
Preheat oven to 475 degrees fahrenheit.
Grease a large pizza pan with butter or cooking spray.
Punch dough once to release air.
Dump dough onto greased pizza pan and stretch out into a roughly 12-inch circle.
Brush the surface of the dough with a drizzle of olive oil.
Sprinkle dough with your minced garlic and some ground black pepper and dried oregano to taste.
Over half of your dough, sprinkle half of your shredded cheese, leaving about a ½ inch border on the edge.
On top of your cheese, pile your 1 ½ cups of fillings of your choice.
Reserve a couple tablespoons of your shredded cheese for later.
Sprinkle the rest of your cheese over your fillings.
Fold the bare half of your dough over your fillings.
Gently stretch the bottom edge of the dough over the top edge. Press the layers of dough along the edge together with your fingers by poking down, creating a crimp.
Sprinkle your reserved couple of tablespoons of cheese over the top of the calzone.
Cut 3 slits in the top of the calzone with a sharp knife.
Step 4:
Bake
Melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter and mix in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of dried or fresh parsley.
Bake your calzone for 20-23 minutes until golden and crispy on the outside. When calzone comes out of the oven, immediately brush with the melted garlic butter.
Let calzone cool for 5 minutes before slicing into it. Enjoy!
Create Your Own Calzone
Servings: 4 Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
Large pinch of sugar
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ tsp. active dry yeast
1 ½ TBS. olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups freshly shredded cheeses of your choice (see note)
1 ½ cups pizza toppings of your choice (see note)
Ground black pepper and dried oregano to taste
3-5 cloves or 1 TBS. minced garlic
2 TBS. melted salted butter
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried or fresh parsley
Directions
Step 1: Make Dough
In a large bowl, combine sugar, ½ cup of the warm water, and the yeast. Set aside until yeast has bloomed and top is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining water, olive oil, flour and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, OR let dough knead in an electric mixer with a dough hook for 8 minutes on medium speed. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in it, flipping once to coat the whole ball of dough in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size, about one hour. While dough is rising, proceed to step 2.
Step 2: Prep fillings
While dough is rising, it’s time to prep the fillings. Start by shredding your choice of cheeses. Next, cook any fillings of your choice that need to be cooked (see note). Be sure to measure ingredients after cooking, as most will shrink when cooked. Also mince your garlic, or measure out a tablespoon of pre-minced garlic.
Step 3: Fill calzone
Preheat oven to 475 degrees fahrenheit. Grease a large pizza pan with butter or cooking spray. Punch dough once to release air. Dump dough onto greased pizza pan and stretch out into a roughly 12-inch circle. Brush the surface of the dough with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle dough with your minced garlic and some ground black pepper and dried oregano to taste. Over half of your dough, sprinkle half of your shredded cheese, leaving about a ½ inch border on the edge. On top of your cheese, pile your 1 ½ cups of fillings of your choice. Reserve a couple tablespoons of your shredded cheese for later. Sprinkle the rest of your cheese over your fillings. Fold the bare half of your dough over your fillings. Gently stretch the bottom edge of the dough over the top edge. Press the layers of dough along the edge together with your fingers by poking down, creating a crimp. Sprinkle your reserved couple of tablespoons of cheese over the top of the calzone. Cut 3 slits in the top of the calzone with a sharp knife.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the calzone for 20-23 minutes until crispy and golden. While it's baking, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley. When the calzone comes out of the oven, immediately brush it with the garlic butter mixture. Let calzone cool for 5 minutes before slicing into it. Enjoy!