Two calzones on a wood pizza peel with tomato sauce and melted butter in glass cups to the side.
45 Minutes or Less - Dinner - Pizza

Homemade Calzones

Last updated on August 6, 2022 by Liza Hawkins

We eat pizza a lot over here, so I thought it’d be fun to try my hand at making homemade calzones, which are pretty much just like little inside-out pizzas.

Fun, right?

Homemade Calzones

I used my recipe for homemade pizza dough for the calzone crust, except with only all-purpose flour this time instead of wheat. I was worried about the stretchablity, but in hindsight I believe the wheat flour version would have been fine too.

The fillings for these two homemade calzones were simple: mozzarella, ricotta and basil. (And a little spoonful of sauce for my husband’s, which some might say makes it a stromboli rather than a calzone….)

Homemade Calzones

You might say that the fact that the cheese is oozing out means I didn’t do a great job of sealing the dough. But, I believe it only makes the calzones look that much more mouthwatering. Am I right?

Mmm….

Two calzones on a wood pizza peel with tomato sauce and melted butter in glass cups to the side.
Yield: 2

Homemade Calzones

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Homemade calzones are like little ooey-gooey inside-out pizzas. Marinara optional!

Ingredients

  • 2 individual portions homemade pizza dough
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup ricotta
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup marinara
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal

Instructions

  1. Set a pizza stone on the middle rack in the oven, and preheat it to 400°F. Sprinkle a pizza peel (or a edge-less cookie sheet) with the cornmeal and set it aside.
  2. Mix the mozzarella, ricotta, salt, pepper and basil together in a small bowl.
  3. Sprinkle the counter top with a little flour, and roll one of the dough portions out to an 1/8" thick round.
  4. Spoon half of the cheese mixture on one side, leaving about 1/2-inch of dough as a border.
  5. Fold the empty side of the dough over the cheese and match it up with the opposite side of the round. Gently press down on the dough to seal the calzone, and then (starting at one side and ending at the other) roll the edges up tight.
  6. Use a sharp knife to poke 2 slits in the top. Gently move the calzone to the prepared pizza peel, and then repeat the process with the second dough round. Let the calzones rest for 10 minutes.
  7. With a quick motion, slip the calzones from the pizza peel onto the preheated pizza stone. Let the calzones bake for 15 minutes, then brush them with the melted butter, sprinkle with sea salt, and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until they're golden brown.
  8. Let the calzones rest for 5 minutes, and then serve them with marinara on the side for dipping.

Notes

Try adding your favorite veggies or cooked meats to create delicious flavor combos!

Hi, I'm Liza — a self-proclaimed word-nerd who loves getting lost in whimsical stories and epic movies. I have laid-back, practical attitude towards life and am always on the hunt for good eats, easy recipes, binge-worthy shows, relaxing road trip destinations, the perfect fizzy gin cocktail, and time to finish my novel!

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