Easy Calzone Recipe- Quick and easy!! (2024)

If you have ever tried an Italian Calzone, you are in for a treat, as this easy calzone recipe will show you how you can easily make one at home.

Calzones are folded pizza pockets, and just like any pizza, you can add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and toppings on half the side of the dough and fold the other half over it.

This Italian delicacy is easy to make and requires no fancy chef hats. Just follow the steps below, and you will love how easy it is to make a homemade Calzone recipe.

Ingredients and Substitutions

1. Pizza Dough (store-bought or homemade)- You can use homemade or store-bought pizza dough. You can even use puff pastry dough for this recipe, although it won’t be a calzone then; the results are delicious.

2. Pizza Sauce- I have used my cooked pizza sauce recipe for this calzone recipe.

3. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese– You can use any other cheese of your liking. But for this recipe specifically, I have used shredded mozzarella cheese.

4. Butter Chicken (homemade, or store-bought)– I had some leftover butter chicken at home, so I thought I would use this as a filling inside one of the calzones. The results were perfect, and if you have chicken toppings, add them to your calzone for a more complex flavor.

5. 1 Egg (beaten, for egg wash)– The eggwash gives the dough a nice texture and gives this glazed effect to the calzone. You can also use oil/butter to crisp up and brown the top of the calzone, but the glazed effect is limited to egg wash.

6. Sesame Seeds- I sprinkled some white sesame seeds on top after the egg wash to give the dough more flavor. This is optional, but do try it if you can.

7. Marinara Sauce (for dipping)– If not Marinara sauce, you can use the White Pizza sauce recipe that I have shared on this blog before, it is simple, easy and cheesy.

Best Calzone dough recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Combine the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

2. Make a well in the center and add the warm water and olive oil.

3. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until a dough forms.

4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

6. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into portions for your calzones.

How to make this Easy Calzone Recipe

1. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface to your desired thickness.

2. Cheese-filled Calzone:

–Spread a layer of pizza sauce on half the dough, leaving a border around the edges.

–Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.

–Fold the other half of the dough over the cheese filling, creating a half-moon shape. Seal the edges by pressing them together or using a fork.

3. Butter Chicken-filled Calzone:

–Spoon a generous portion of butter chicken onto one half of the dough, leaving a border around the edges. Top it with some mozzarella cheese.

–Fold the other half of the dough over the butter chicken, sealing the edges by pressing them together or using a fork.

4. Place both calzones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I haven’t done this, but you totally can.

5. Brush the top of the calzones with the beaten egg for a beautiful glaze. Optionally, for a vegetarian alternative, brush the top with oil or melted butter. It won’t give the same glossy finish as the egg wash.

6. Make a small cut on top of the calzone so all the air from the inside can escape, and it would also prevent the calzone from bursting from any corners. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of both calzones.

7. Bake in an oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

8. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before slicing.

9. Serve both calzones with marinara sauce for dipping.

Enjoy the delicious combination of a classic cheese-filled calzone and a flavorful butter chicken-filled calzone, with the option to use oil or butter instead of the egg wash for a vegetarian alternative (though it won’t provide the same glossy finish).

Calzone Recipe Filling Ideas

1. Classic Margherita: Fill your calzone with fresh tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, and fragrant basil leaves, all wrapped in a delicious tomato sauce.

2. Spinach and Feta: Sautéed spinach combined with feta and ricotta cheese, seasoned with garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil make for a flavorful and hearty filling.

3. Pepperoni and Mushroom: Create a classic combination with pepperoni slices, sliced mushrooms, melted mozzarella cheese, and a generous layer of tomato sauce.

4. BBQ Chicken: Shredded grilled chicken, thinly sliced red onions, and a tangy barbecue sauce combined with mozzarella cheese for a smoky and savory calzone.

5. Vegetarian Delight: Dice bell peppers, thinly slice red onions, add black olives and mushrooms, then top it with mozzarella cheese and a layer of tomato sauce for a colorful and veggie-packed delight calzone.

6. Meat Lovers: Indulge in a meaty calzone experience with cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, pepperoni slices, chopped ham or bacon, and gooey mozzarella cheese, all in tomato sauce filling.

7. Pesto and Tomato: Spread pesto sauce on your dough and layer it with halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of Parmesan for a fresh and herby calzone delight.

8. Buffalo Chicken: Shredded buffalo chicken, blue cheese, mozzarella cheese, and diced celery filling for a spicy and tangy calzone.

Which pizza dough recipe is best for calzone?

The best pizza dough for calzone is one that produces a slightly elastic and soft texture when baked.

You can use store-bought dough or even puff pastry dough. I have a short recipe above written but if you want a more detailed recipe with images and videos then check out this simple pizza dough recipe.

Calzone vs Stromboli

Calzone: A calzone is a folded pizza that resembles a half-moon or a folded turnover.

It is made by placing various pizza ingredients (such as cheese, meats, and vegetables) on one half of a circular pizza dough, then folding the other half over and sealing the edges.

The entire calzone is baked until the crust is golden and crispy.

The result is a self-contained, pocket-like structure with the filling enclosed inside.

Stromboli: Stromboli, on the other hand, is a rolled dish.

It involves rolling pizza dough with various fillings (similar to those used in pizzas and calzones) and baking the entire rolled structure until the crust is golden brown.

It is more like a pizza log, with the filling visible along the spiraled cross-section when sliced.