How to Make Calzones

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Uncut Calzones

The other day my youngest daughter was flipping through my recipe book looking for dinner ideas and she came across my calzone recipes. I wrote them about 10 years ago, and we’d fallen out of the habit of making them. Once I explained what calzones were, she immediately added them to her meal plan for the week (we take turns planning meals in our house).

And when calzone night finally rolled around, we were all left wondering why we’d let them slip from our regular dinner rotation.

Happy to have rediscovered an old favorite, I decided to create a third calzone recipe. Now, I have one for pepperoni, one for veggie and one for ham and cheese, and I’m here to share them all with you.

How to Make Calzones

Before we get to the specific recipes, let’s start with a quick tutorial on how to make calzones.

The first thing you’ll need is a batch of your favorite pizza dough. This is my husband’s pizza dough recipe. If you don’t want to make dough, store-bought is fine.

Dough for Calzones

One batch of dough (what you’d typically use to make a large pizza) will make two giant-sized calzones (enough to feed two to three people), four hungry-person-sized calzones, or eight regular-person-sized calzones. Just to put it into perspective: If you make eight, they’ll be roughly the same size as a popular frozen pizza pocket.

Divide your dough into two, four or eight balls, depending on how many calzones you’ve decided to make. Then, cover the dough with a towel, and allow it to rise, until it’s doubled in size (this will take about an hour).

Roll Out the Dough

When your dough is ready, flour your work surface. Then, roll your dough balls out into circles. My husband surprised me with a large silicone pastry mat for Christmas. It measures 26″x36″, and it’s perfect for jobs like this.

Pastry Roller

So is this little pastry/pizza roller that he picked up at a yard sale. It makes it easy to roll dough out to a uniform thickness. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have one. A rolling pin will also do the job.

Add Toppings to Your Calzones

Once you have your dough rolled out, top half of each circle with tomato sauce, cheese and whatever other toppings you’re using, leaving a one-inch edge all the way around. Be careful not to overdo it with the sauce. Your calzones will turn out soggy, if you do. (see the recipes below for my recommendations on how much to use).

Fold and Seal the Calzones

Then, use a pastry brush (or a finger) to moisten the edge; fold the untopped side over the filling; and seal by pressing down with the tines of a fork. Cut several slits in each calzone, so the steam has a place to escape when they’re baking.

Time to get them into the oven!

Calzones Fresh from the Oven

We bake our calzones on pizza screens, just like they do at a pizza place, but they’ll turn out just fine, if you bake them on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. I recommend either oiling your pan, or dusting it with cornmeal, so your calzones don’t stick.

Then, bake your calzones in a 490 degree oven – 10 minutes for two large calzones, 7-8 minutes for eight medium calzones; 6-7 minutes for eight smaller calzones. Keep an eye on them towards the end of the bake time, in case you have a hotter oven than I do. The calzones will be golden brown when they’re done.

That’s probably quite a bit hotter than you’re used to baking, but it’ll result in calzones that are every bit as good as the ones that you’d get at a restaurant.

Freezing and Reheating Calzones

Make a big batch of calzones. Then, freeze some, so you’ll have quick grab-and-go meals. They can be reheated in the microwave just like those store-bought pizza pockets. Just stick one on a plate; microwave it for one minute. Then, flip it over, and microwave it for another minute. And just like the store-bought kind, it’ll be scorching hot when take it out, so give it a few minutes to cool, if you value your tongue.

Alright, now that you know how to make calzones, let’s explore some flavor options …

Veggie Calzone Recipe

How to Make Calzones

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How to Make Calzones

Veggie Calzones

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand to create the filling for these veggie calzones. A great recipe for cleaning out the fridge, or using up your garden surplus.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2-8 calzones 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • One batch of your favorite pizza dough
  • Tomato Sauce
  • 8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • Your choice of veggies (peppers, onions, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, etc.)

Instructions

Divide your pizza dough into 2, 4 or 8 balls, depending on how big you want your calzones to be.

Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.

Then, roll the dough out into circles.

Spread sauce, cheese and veggies over half of each circle, leave a one-inch edge all the way around. Be careful not to overdo the sauce. 4-5 Tbsp each is about right for two large. Use 2-3 Tbsp each for four medium; 1 tbsp each for eight small.

Moisten the edge; fold the untopped side over the fillings; and pinched shut with a fork.

Cut vents to allow steam to escape. Then, transfer the calzones to a pizza pan or cookie sheet that has been oiled, or dusted with cornmeal.

Bake at 490 degrees. 10 minutes for two large; 7-8 minutes for four medium; 6-7 minutes for eight small. Keep an eye on them towards the end, and pull them as soon as they turn golden brown.

Notes

These freeze and reheat beautifully.

Keywords: how to make veggie calzones, vegetable calzone recipe

Ham and Cheese Calzone Recipe

Ham Calzones

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Ham Calzones

Ham and Cheese Calzones

Use a batch of pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) to make ham and cheese calzones. They’re ready to eat in 20 minutes.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2-8 calzones 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • One batch of your favorite pizza dough
  • 8 oz. ham, chopped
  • 1 cup Ricotta cheese
  • 4 oz. Mozzarella cheese
  • Tomato sauce

Instructions

Divide your pizza dough into 2, 4 or 8 balls, depending on how big you want to make your calzones.

Cover, and allow to rise, until doubled in size.

Roll the dough out into rounds.

Top half of each round with sauce, cheeses and ham. Leave a one-inch edge all the way around. Be careful not to use too much sauce. 4-5 Tbsp each is about right for two large calzones. Use 2-3 Tbsp each for four medium-sized calzones; 1 Tbsp each for eight smaller calzones.

Moisten the edge of each round with a pastry brush, or your finger. Fold the untopped half over the topped half. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.

Cut slits in the calzones, so the steam will be able to escape. Then, place on a pizza pan or cookie sheet that’s been lightly oiled or dusted with cornmeal.

Bake at 490, until golden brown. 10 minutes for two large; 7-8 minutes for four medium; 6-7 minutes for 8 small. Keep an eye on them towards the end of the bake time, and remove when they’re golden brown.

Notes

Can be frozen and reheated. Microwave frozen calzone for one minute. Then, flip, and microwave for one more minute.

Keywords: ham and cheese calzone recipe

Pepperoni Calzone Recipe

Pepperoni Calzones

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Pepperoni Calzones

Enjoy pepperoni calzones at home. This recipe tastes just like the ones you’d get in a pizza place, but costs a lot less to make yourself.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2-8 calzones 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • One batch of your favorite pizza dough
  • 1 cup Ricotta cheese
  • 4 oz. Mozzarella cheese
  • Pepperoni
  • Tomato sauce

Instructions

Divide pizza dough into 2, 4 or 8 balls, depending on how big you want your servings to be.

Cover, and allow dough to rise, until doubled in size.

Roll the dough out into circles.

Top half of each circle with sauce, cheeses and a generous amount of pepperoni. Leave the outer inch of the dough untopped. Make sure you don’t use too much sauce. 4-5 Tbsp each is about right for two large; use 2-3 Tbsp each for four medium; 1 Tbsp each for eight small.

Moisten the edge of the dough with water (applied with a pastry brush or your finger). Then, fold the untopped side over the topped side, and use a fork to pinch the edges shut.

Cut a few slits in each one, so the steam can escape.

Then, transfer to a pizza pan or baking sheet that’s been oiled, or dusted with cornmeal.

Bake at 490 degrees. 10 minutes for two large calzones; 7-8 minutes for four medium; 6-7 minutes for eight small. Watch closely towards the end; and pull when they turn golden brown.

Notes

Make a bunch and freeze them for easy meals. Just pop a frozen calzone in the microwave for a minute; flip it; then, heat it for another minute.

Keywords: pepperoni calzone recipe

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2 Comments

  1. Wow……….those look fantastic! Cutting vents in the dough is very important……….I tried making calzones in college…….dubbed them “free-form pepperoni oven casserole” after they pretty much exploded, LOL

  2. Wow! You make it look easy! For some reason, my husband loves processed and frozen foods. This may be just the thing to keep on hand for him, but without all the preservatives I complain about!!

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