A Calzone is like a mini pizza pocket and it’s super easy to make at home! A pizza dough crust is filled to the brim with cheese and toppings is baked until golden.
Make these your own by adding your favorite toppings and fillings! They’re a great portable meal and reheat well for snacks and quick meals throughout the week!
What is a Calzone?
A calzone is an oven-baked, folded pizza that has sealed edges so all the good stuff stays in!
Anything that goes on a pizza can go into a calzone! The pizza fillings are placed on one half of the circular shaped pizza dough. The dough is then folded over, crimped, coated with an egg wash or a brush of olive oil and baked in the oven.
Stromboli vs. Calzone
Both strombolis and calzones have the same dough and even the same ingredients although a traditional calzone often has ricotta.
The main difference is in how they are sealed. A stromboli is rolled up and a calzone is crimped and sealed. A Stromboli is sliced after baking while a calzone is usually hand held or single serving.
Whatever your preference, they both taste great!
Tips & Variations
Dough Use homemade pizza dough or store bought/canned. Either works well in this recipe.
A lot of local pizza places (or Italian markets) sell fresh homemade dough and it can be stored in the freezer. I always pick up a couple of packages to have on hand!
Fillings I use a bit of pizza sauce and always serve with extra for dipping. The sky’s the limit for fillings. Make sure your meats are cooked and any watery veggies (like mushrooms or pineapple) are cooked and/or well drained.
Cheese Mozzarella (and a bit of parmesan if you like) add the perfect flavor. Ricotta is both a traditional and delicious addition (but not something I usually have on hand). Sub in whatever you have on hand.
Be sure to allow the calzones to cool a few minutes as the fillings will be hot. A couple of minutes of rest will keep the cheese from being too runny.
How to Make a Calzone
Making calzone is as easy as folding a pizza in half!
- Divide pre-made pizza dough into equal portions and roll into a circle.
- On one half of the dough, spread the ingredients. Fold over and crimp the edges.
- Cut air vents, brush with oil and bake (per recipe below).
Serve calzones warm with a marinara dipping sauce.
Leftovers
The best way to keep leftovers is to put them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze calzones put them in a zippered bag labeled with the date. They should keep for about a month.
Yummy Pizza Inspired Recipes
- Pizza Pasta Bake – cheesy casserole
- Bubble Pizza Bread – extra quick
- Easy Cheesy Pizza Dip – party favorite
- Pizza Bombs – homemade pizza pockets
- Easy Pizza Twists – so cheesy
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup sliced pepperoni
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Divide pizza dough into 4 equal parts and roll each dough ball into a 1/4 inch thick circle.
- On half of each dough circle, add equal parts sauce, yellow onion, green bell pepper, and sliced pepperoni. Make sure to leave a little room around the edges so you can crimp the calzone shut.
- Sprinkle the toppings with equal parts shredded cheese. Then fold the other half of the dough over the toppings and crimp the edges.
- Cut 2-3 air vents into the top of the calzone and place it on to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush with olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes or until the dough is fully cooked and the calzone is golden brown.
- Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.
Video
Notes
Check your local pizza places (or Italian market) for fresh homemade dough and store some extra in the freezer.
Ensure meats are cooked and any watery veggies (like mushrooms or pineapple) are cooked and/or well drained. A few spoonfuls of ricotta can be added for a traditional calzone.
Be sure to allow the calzones to cool a few minutes as the fillings will be hot. A couple of minutes of rest will keep the cheese from running out.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This is excellent! I’ve never tried to make a calzone before. I used store bought refrigerated dough, and changed some of the ‘toppings’, and it turned out GREAT. Thank you! ~A New Fan
Welcome to the club! My house is a big fan of calzones!
Great recipe!
I have some left over pizza fixings that I’d like to use. if I make these to freeze should I bake them before I freeze them or would freezing raw be ok?
I often bake them before freezing. Then I put them in a zippered bag labeled with the date and freeze. They should keep for about a month.
NOT A CALZONE!!!!!!! SO SAD. fix this. Stromboli not a calzone. Stromboli has pizza sauce, calzones don’t.
Hi Cass, this is our take on a calzone. We do have this stromboli recipe you may enjoy as well!
I gave 4 stars because it’s so eze anyone can make this with store bought crust. But, as commenter Cass stated, Calzones do not have a red sauce in them. From Palermo and we have been making Calzones for approximately 400 years. No red sauce. But this is a easy peasy thing to make foe those real short on time.
I buy pizza dough at Aldis that has jalapeno peppers in it.I’m going to fill them with taco beef and cheddar cheese.
Oh my! That sounds so delicious.
Sounds delicious 😋. Thanks for sharing 👍 😊