Pizza’s ugly stepchild, the calzone, is having a moment. The puffed, half-moon shaped pocket of dough stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta is more than just a delicious alternative to the classic slice—it lets you add more fillings, keeps them hot longer, and allows for not just savory ingredients but sweet ones, too. It’s like a hybrid of pizza and a grilled cheese sandwich, and it is so, so good.
The secret to making a great calzone is in the dough and in the ingredients. While you can make a calzone from scratch, if you’re looking for an easy recipe with less prep time and work, it’s hard to beat using store-bought pizza dough. Just be sure to look for a high-quality brand and follow the instructions on the package.
To prepare the dough, mix 2 tablespoons of water with a pinch of sugar and 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for about an hour to invoke autolysis, which helps the yeast grow. Then, whisk together the eggs and milk and combine them with the bread flour. Stir in the salt, pepper, and olive oil. The dough should become soft and sticky. If it’s too dry, add more egg or milk. To make the calzone, dust a work surface with flour and shape each piece of dough into a circle. Place a small mound of the filling on one half of the dough, then fold the plain half over the cheesy half to seal it. Press a seam around the edge to ensure that the filling is well sealed and no cheese blowouts occur while baking. You can slice an air vent into each calzone if you want, but this isn’t necessary. The calzones will puff up in the oven and cook through when they’re fully baked.
While you can use any type of fillings for your calzone, some popular options include sausage with spinach and ricotta, ham and pineapple, or pepperoni and mushroom. If you’re not a fan of meat, you can also make a vegetarian calzone with feta and spinach.
After forming each calzone, transfer it to a baking sheet or pizza steel lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of each calzone with additional olive oil, then sprinkle with Parmesan and Stone House Seasoning and bake it until golden brown. Allow each calzone to rest for 10 minutes before serving with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping.
You can reheat leftover calzones in the oven at 325°F until warmed through. If you have extras, they will keep for a few days in the fridge (unwrapped) and are also freezer-friendly. pizza calzone