Homemade Calzones

Homemade calzones are delicious little pizza pockets that are filled with cheese and toppings and baked until golden. They are an Italian favourite that are quick and easy to make at home. Plus, they reheat very well and are great for meal prep.

What is a Calzone?

A calzone is essentially a folded pizza (shaped into a half-circle) to seal in all the fillings like cheese, meats, vegetables and sometimes sauce. It is coated with an egg wash or some olive oil and baked in the oven. It is a hand held food that serves one.

A calzone is similar to a stromboli in that they use the same dough and similar ingredients enclosed and sealed inside the dough. However, their main difference is in the way that they are sealed. A calzone is folded over, crimped and sealed, while a stromboli is rolled up and sliced into 1-inch slices after baking.

Ingredients

• pizza dough - made with all-purpose flour, salt, water, instant yeast, sugar, and olive oil.
• pizza sauce - it's super easy to make your own homemade pizza sauce in 5 minutes with just a few ingredients. Store-bought works great too.
• meat - I used salami, but you can also use pepperoni. Make sure to use meats that are already cooked.
• vegetables - I didn't add any vegetables, but it is common to add some in if you want. You can add any vegetables that you like. Some of my favourites are mushrooms and green peppers. Just make sure that any watery vegetables that you use are cooked and well-drained.
• cheese - I used both mozzarella cheese and ricotta (ricotta is very traditional in a calzone).
• egg - beaten egg for the egg wash on top.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale), mixing bowl, and a half sheet baking pan.

How to Make the Best Homemade Calzones

1. Prepare the dough. Whisk together flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar and olive oil. Whisk to dissolve and pour it into flour mixture. Stir well with a silicone spatula to combine until no dry flour is visible in the bowl. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to help it be easier when kneading.
2. Knead the dough and let it rise. Knead the dough with your hands until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 1 hour, covered, until doubled in size.
3. Shape the dough. Punch down the dough, divide into 4 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Take one dough ball at a time and flatten each dough ball into an approximate 8-inch circle using a rolling pin. Apply a little bit flour on your hands and the work surface, if needed to keep the dough from sticking.
4. Add the fillings. Add pizza sauce, salami, ricotta and then mozzarella at the centre of the dough, leaving an inch of space along the edges.

1. Fold over the calzones. Fold the dough over filling and press the edges together. Then, fold the bottom edge over the top and press down to seal, creating a raised border. Crimp with a fork if desired.

1. Add air vents and egg wash. Transfer the calzones to a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle some cornmeal on the bottom if needed to prevent sticking. Make 3 air vents on the top of the calzones using a knife or scissors. Apply egg wash on top of the calzones.
2. Bake. Bake in a 375 F preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Let calzones cool for 10 minutes as the fillings will be very hot and it will allow the cheese to not be too runny. Serve with marinara sauce.

How to Serve Homemade Calzones

Calzones always go well with a big side of salad. Serve these homemade calzones with a greek salad, Mediterranean chickpea wedge salad, cucumber and tomato salad, or Mediterranean orzo pasta salad. You can also serve with Marinara Sauce for dipping.

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• Salami and Mushroom Skillet Pizza
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• Easy Skillet Neapolitan Margherita Pizza
• Butter Chicken Pizza
• Mushroom and Arugula Skillet Pizza
• Classic Roman Herbed Potato Pizza

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