Easy Calzone Recipe – A Beautiful Mess

Whereas I really like do-it-yourself pizza, I’m additionally an enormous fan of pizza’s modest cousin, the calzone. And whereas I’m all for a do-it-yourself calzone recipe (from scratch), this put up is extra about methods to make simple calzone utilizing various kinds of crust mixes or store-bought dough.

Calzone is totally different from stromboli in two methods. Stromboli is rolled, like a pizza cinnamon roll, whereas a calzone solely has a prime and backside layer. If a calzone is a pressed sandwich, stromboli is a pinwheel burrito. I additionally consider calzone like a pizza pocket (or my childhood favourite: Sizzling Pocket).

The second distinction is calzone is often made with ricotta cheese (or a mixture of cheese together with ricotta). This provides moisture to the calzone.

Associated: Detroit-Model Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza Recipe, Tomato Sauce, Pizza Sauce.

What’s a Calzone?

Calzone = Dough + Sauce + Cheese + Fillings

The substances in a calzone recipe are dough, pizza sauce, cheese and fillings, akin to pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, and some other greens or protein you favor. You may also make a cheese calzone with out some other fillings.

One other key to nice calzone is you need to serve it alongside dipping sauce—ideally marinara. No matter crimson sauce you utilize contained in the calzone might be served for dipping, so that you don’t vital must make or purchase two totally different sauces until you wish to.

From Scratch Dough Choices

For a simple calzone recipe, use one of many store-bought choices beneath. However, if you’re trying to make calzone from scratch, listed here are few pizza dough recipes that may work effectively:

Different pizza dough recipes can work, however keep away from something that’s tremendous skinny or crispy. These won’t bake as effectively. It’s greatest to stay to a pizza dough recipe that accommodates yeast, though there are some exceptions.

Retailer-Purchased Calzone Dough Choices

• Frozen dough for bread loaves – That is my favourite store-bought possibility. Every loaf will make three calzones, so this complete package deal you see above would make 9 calzones if I used it unexpectedly. You will want to thaw and roll this dough out with a rolling pin.
• Refrigerated pizza dough (like Pillsbury) – I additionally like this feature as a result of it really works effectively and is simple to form into quite a lot of totally different calzones, relying on the dimensions.
• Dry pizza crust combine (like Jiffy) – Though it will work and is essentially the most shelf-stable possibility, it may well make your calzone crust type of skinny and dry.

That is the frozen bread dough earlier than rolling it out. No matter dough you utilize, make sure that to roll it out to a desired thickness earlier than baking.

In case you go away the dough tremendous thick (greater than 1/2 an inch), it might be type of doughy on the within whereas totally baked to burning on the skin. Alter the bake time as wanted relying on what dough recipe you utilize.

Calzone Fillings

• Sauce – I like crimson sauce. You gained’t want a lot for the within of every calzone—only a couple spoonfuls on the most. However you will have some on the facet for dipping. You may make calzone with different sauces like Alfredo or different pasta sauces or BBQ sauce. Any sauce you want on pizza you’ll most likely like in a calzone.
• Cheese – I often use a mix of ricotta cheese and shredded mozzarella. The ricotta cheese provides moisture to the within of the calzone so it doesn’t dry out in baking. That being mentioned, if you wish to skip the ricotta, one of the best substitution is recent mozzarella, which has larger moisture.
• Toppings – Pizza toppings can turn into fillings for calzone. My household likes pepperoni, and if I’ve some recent basil, I’ll often add that too. If you wish to use greens, chances are you’ll wish to think about cooking them barely first, like sautéing bell peppers, onions, or mushrooms. However that is private desire and simply depends upon what sort of textures you favor.

Instructions

Roll out the dough. For this bake time I’m recommending right here, the dough needs to be roughly 8-10 inches in diameter and 1/2 an inch thick or much less.

Add a spoonful or two of sauce and unfold kind of evenly towards the perimeters, leaving somewhat edge throughout. Put every calzone on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

On half of the calzone add 2-3 tablespoons ricotta cheese, crumbled. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese. Then add a handful of any toppings you want.

Fold the dough over on itself, making an empanada form (half moon). I like to make use of a fork to press the perimeters collectively, however you can even roll them up. It will rely in your dough.

Optionally available: Brush the tops with an egg wash earlier than baking. It will create a golden brown shade.

As soon as baked, serve alongside with dipping sauce. If you wish to really feel wholesome, possibly add a salad. You do you. Get pleasure from! -Emma

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