Calzone
intro
Golden, crispy folded pizza pockets stuffed with melted cheese, savory salami, and tangy marinara, baked to bubbly perfection for a satisfying handheld comfort meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and dough
Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the 500g pizza dough into 4 equal 125g portions, roll each into a smooth ball, and let rest on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes to relax gluten for easier rolling.
Mix cheese filling
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 225g shredded low-moisture mozzarella, 170g whole milk ricotta, 30g grated parmesan, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Stir until evenly mixed, taking care not to overmix to keep the filling thick and not runny.
Roll dough circles
Take one rested dough ball at a time, and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a 20cm (8 inch) diameter circle, about 0.3cm (⅛ inch) thick. Keep remaining dough balls covered with a clean kitchen towel while you work to prevent them from drying out.
Add calzone fillings
Spoon 2 tablespoons (30ml) of marinara sauce onto the lower half of each dough circle, leaving a 2cm (¾ inch) border around the edge for sealing. Top the sauce with ¼ of the cheese mixture and 21g (¾ oz) of sliced salami, taking care not to overstuff, which will cause leaks during baking.
Seal calzone edges
Fold the empty top half of the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the 2cm border firmly with your fingertips to seal, then crimp the edge tightly with a fork or fold it into a twisted rope pattern to lock in filling. Cut 2 small 1cm (½ inch) slits on the top of each calzone to let steam escape during baking.
Bake until golden
Arrange the sealed calzones on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 5cm (2 inches) apart. Brush the top of each calzone evenly with beaten egg wash, then drizzle with 1 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp kosher salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 230°C (450°F) until the crust is deep golden brown, crispy, and filling bubbles slightly from the steam slits.
Rest and serve
Remove calzones from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to allow the molten cheese filling to set, which prevents burns when biting in. Serve warm with extra warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.
Tips
2.Never skip cutting steam slits in the top of each calzone; trapped hot steam will build pressure and burst the sealed edge, spilling filling across your baking sheet.
3.If using store-bought refrigerated pizza dough, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling; cold dough will shrink back immediately and be impossible to shape into even circles.
Really solid base recipe! I swapped the regular all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour and it turned out way better than I expected. Only reason I’m knocking off a star is that my first batch leaked a bunch of cheese out the sides when I crimped the edges too loosely — definitely make sure you pinch those seams tight! Next time I’m gonna add some spicy honey to dip in, I know that’s gonna slap.
As a broke college student with barely any cooking skills, I was shocked how well these turned out! I used pre-made pizza dough from the grocery store to cut down on prep work (no shame) and stuffed mine with shredded mozz, pepperoni, and a little jarred marinara I had in the fridge. Total cost for 4 big calzones was like 8 bucks, way cheaper than ordering delivery. Will be making these every week for my roommates now fr.
These calzones are meal prep GOLD. I made a batch on Sunday, wrapped them individually in foil, and popped them in the fridge for quick lunches all week. They reheat perfectly in the air fryer at 375 for 8 minutes — crust gets crispy again, cheese is all melty, no sad soggy microwave mess. I added a side of marinara for dipping and my coworkers were all jealous of my lunch all week. 10/10, so much better than sad desk salads.
Pretty great calzone! The flavor was spot on, tasted just like the ones I get at my favorite old school Italian spot back in the city. Only heads up for other new bakers: my oven runs hot, so I had to drop the temp by 25 degrees and pull them out 3 minutes early to keep the crust from burning. If you’re new to working with yeast dough, don’t panic if it feels a little sticky at first — just keep a little extra flour on hand for your work surface.
Obsessed!!! I made a fully vegetarian version with roasted bell peppers, caramelized onions, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella, and even my meat-obsessed boyfriend said it was better than any takeout calzone he’s ever had. The crust recipe is so easy to work with, I was worried I’d mess up the yeast but it rose perfectly in an hour on my warm counter. Served it with a side of warm marinara and a little Caesar salad, perfect date night dinner!
SO good. I was a little intimidated because the difficulty says medium, but the steps were super straightforward even for a guy who mostly cooks burgers and brisket on the smoker. I did half pepperoni and cheese for the kids, half sausage and roasted veg for me and the wife, and they all ate every bite. Took these to a neighborhood potluck last night and people were asking me for the recipe before I even left! Already planning to make a double batch for meal prep this Sunday.
My kids loved it!!! I’ve been struggling to find dinners that don’t end in a fight at the table lately, and these calzones were a total home run. I let each kid pick their own fillings (one did just cheese, one did ham and pineapple, don’t judge) and they were so proud to help stuff and crimp their own. Total cook time was right on 50 minutes too, which fits perfectly between school pickup and soccer practice. Can’t recommend enough!
OMG this calzone recipe is a total game changer! I made these for our family game night last weekend and everyone went back for seconds. The crust came out perfectly crispy on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and the filling ratio was *chef’s kiss* — no sad soggy bottom here! I stuffed mine with pepperoni, mozzarella, mushrooms, and a little bit of ricotta, just like my nonna used to make. 10/10 will be adding this to our regular dinner rotation!