Best Italian Calzone Recipe
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This Calzone Recipe will take your Italian favorite to a new level – loaded with sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan cheese and vegetables wrapped in soft and fluffy calzone dough. These cheesy Calzones make perfect weeknight dinner. 
Calzone means “stuffed stocking or trouser” in Italian. It is a folded pizza that’s baked in the oven like “hot pocket”. Traditionally it’s shaped like a jelly roll, like a “pant leg”. There is also a simple version that’s shaped like a turnover.
This Calzone Recipe is one of my favorite weeknight recipes, along with Cuban Sandwiches, Sirloin Steak, Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes and Baked Chicken Fajitas.
STROMBOLI VS CALZONE
Calzones are similar to Stromboli as they both are Italian dishes with similar ingredients. They are also two are distinct dishes. While Calzones are stuffed with cheese, meat and vegetables in pockets or turnover, in Stromboli, the ingredients are rolled into the dough and then baked.
HOW TO MAKE A CALZONE
This Calzone Recipe is so easy to make and I will share with you a few secrets to perfect calzones. Your family and friends will absolutely love it!
CALZONE DOUGH RECIPE
This Calzone Dough Recipe produces the soft dough that’s dream to work with. Here is how to make it from scratch: In a large bowl, combine yeast and sugar in room temperature water. Wait a few seconds until the yeast dissolves. Then add salt and gradually stir in flour, mix with your hands until dough is smooth. Then transfer the dough to a large cutting board sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until elastic. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until the size doubles.
Note: You can use store-bought refrigerated pizza dough to substitute.
CALZONE FILLING
Preheat oven to 425°F and set aside a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper while you prepare the filling.
In a large skillet, cook sausage pieces over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage as you stir and cook until no longer pink. Add marinara sauce, vegetables and pepperoni. When cooked, remove from the skillet and allow to cool on a plate.
ASSEMBLE CALZONES AND BAKE
When the dough has risen, roll it out the dough into a large rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces. Spoon the meat and vegetable mixture on one side of each rectangle, and add cheese. Fold the dough and pinch edges to seal completely. Place them on the baking sheet and brush the surface of each calzone with egg wash. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm with Marinara Sauce.
SECRETS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CALZONES
- Don’t roll the dough too thinly or overload the calzones with filling as the delicious filling can ooze out while baking.
- To prevent the dough from rising too much and causing it to burst in the oven, you can prick the dough before it goes into the oven.
- I recommend brushing your calzones with egg wash before baking. It not only makes the crust shiny with the nice golden brown color, but also helps to glue the dough together.
- Make ahead tips: Calzone dough can be made ahead up to 3 days and stored in a refrigerator. Let is sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before using it.
HOW TO FREEZE CALZONES
This Calzone Recipe is freezer friendly and you can freeze the unbaked calzones in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once firm, you can transfer them to a freezer friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook frozen calzone, bake at 400°F for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
HOW TO MAKE MARINARA SAUCE
You can make your own marinara sauce from scratch: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the garlic and diced onions. Stir frequently. Then add wine or broth, and cook until the mixture reduced by half. Add crushed tomatoes, salt & pepper and sugar. Simmer for about 30 minutes. When the sauce is nice and thick, remove from heat and add chopped fresh parsley and basil. Mix to combine.
BEST INGREDIENTS FOR CALZONE FILLING
You can choose your favorite vegetables, meat and cheese for the filling. Here are my suggestions:
- Sliced ham
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Bell peppers
- Mushroom
- Onions
Easy Italian Calzone Recipe
Ingredients
Calzone Dough Recipe
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 cup water, lukewarm
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Calzone Filling
- ½ cup diced sausage
- 1/2 cup diced pepperoni
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 1/2 cup spinach
- ½ cup sliced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp basil leaves
- egg wash, 1 egg + 1 tbsp water
- marinara sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- To make the calzone dough, in a large bowl, combine yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Wait a few seconds until the yeast dissolves. Then add salt and gradually stir in flour, mix with your hands until dough is smooth. Then transfer the dough to a large cutting board sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until elastic. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until the size doubles.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and set aside a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper while you prepare the filling.
- In a large skillet, cook sausage pieces over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage as you stir and cook until no longer pink. Add pepperoni and vegetables. When cooked, remove from the skillet and allow to cool. Add cheese and mix.
- When the dough has risen, roll it out the dough into a large rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces. Spoon the meat, cheese and vegetable mixture on one side of each rectangle. Fold the dough and pinch edges to seal completely. Place them on the baking sheet and brush the surface of each calzone with egg wash. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve warm with Marinara Sauce.
Notes
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