This homemade Calzone is a delicious Italian favorite! Pizza dough is filled with cheese, meats, and vegetables and baked until golden. No one will be able to resist this classic!
Everyone loves pizza but we sometimes forget about it’s amazing cousin, the Calzone. If you like pizza you are sure to fall head over heels for this baby. For more pizza-like dishes, try Skillet Pizza, Easy Grilled Pizza, and Pizza Stuffed Crescent Rolls!
Calzone
How to Make a Calzone?
- Place a pizza stone in the bottom third of the oven (if you don’t have one, that’s okay!) and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a medium skillet, cook and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat until brown. Add the peppers and onions and continue to cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Section off 1/4 of the pizza dough (this No Knead, No Rise Pizza Dough is my go-to!). Flour work surface and roll it out into a 8-9 inch circle. Place on a piece of parchment paper.
- Add filling onto half of the circle, leaving a 1 inch border- ricotta, sausage and veggies, cheese, pepperoni, and olives.
- Fold over the pizza dough so the curved edges line up and pinch together to seal. Use remaining dough to make 3 more calzones (or refrigerate and use dough within 2 days).
- Cut 3 slits into the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape.
- Brush the egg wash over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
- With the parchement paper underneath, transfer each calzone to the stone in the oven (I like to use a pizza peel or plate) OR place onto a large baking sheet (cut off any excess hanging parchment paper and then into the oven.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Rest for 10 minutes. Cut in half and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
What is a Calzone?
A calzone is a sort of enclosed pizza, like it has been folded in half. It originated in Naples, Italy and has since been made various ways.
Inside of the bread dough, the calzone is filled with cheeses, meats, vegetables, and sometimes sauce.
What are Some Good Calzone Fillings?
Calzone fillings are similar to that of toppings on pizza- cured meats like ham, pepperoni, prosciutto, sausage…, vegetables, and various cheeses.
This Calzone is more of a classic “Supreme Pizza” but you can use whatever fillings you like best.
A true calzone has ricotta cheese and does NOT have any sauce. It is served with pizza sauce for dipping.
What is the Difference Between a Calzone and Stromboli?
Both stem from pizza and use the same ingredients but are enclosed. Rather than have the additives on top, they are wrapped up inside of the dough. Both calzones and stromboli are completely sealed so that none of the filling escapes.
A calzone is shaped like a taco, crimped closed at the curved edge, and typically serves just one.
A stromboli is folded or rolled up like a burrito with the dough folded over itself. After baking it’s sliced into 1 inch slices like a baguette for multiple servings.
Looking for More Pizza Recipes? Enjoy These:
Calzone
Ingredients
- 1 recipe pizza dough or store bought
- 8 ounces sweet Italian Sausage casings removed
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 24 slices pepperoni
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced olives
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Italian Seasoning
- salt & pepper
Instructions
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Place a pizza stone (if don’t have one you’ll use a pan later on) in the bottom third of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
-
In a medium skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until brown, using a wooden spoon to break it into crumbles. Add the peppers and onions and continue to cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper and then remove from pan and onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
-
Section off 1/4 of the pizza dough. Flour work surface and roll it out into a 8-9 inch circle. Place on a piece of parchment paper. Spread about 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese onto half of the circle, leaving a 1 inch border.
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Spoon on 1/4 of the sausage filling over the ricotta, sprinkle with a little cheese, layer on the pepperoni, more cheese, and some sliced olives.
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Fold over the pizza dough so the curved edges line up and make a semicircle. Pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough.
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Cut 3 slits into the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape.
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Brush the egg wash all over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
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With the parchment paper underneath, transfer each Calzone to the stone in the oven (I like to use a pizza peel or plate) OR place on a large baking sheet, cut off any parchment that hangs over and then into the oven.
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Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Rest 10 minutes. Cut in half and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.