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    Home » Breakfast and Brunch » Homemade Calzones

    Homemade Calzones

    January 9, 2016 , Updated September 30, 2022 Maria 38 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that making Homemade Calzones is a lot easier than you think. As a bonus, calzones freeze wonderfully and are a great solution to that timeless question, “What can I pack for lunch?”

    A pile of calzones on a plate.

    As you can see, these homemade calzones look like half-moons and have often been described as stuffed pizzas.

    Because of their shape, they can easily be eaten while walking, standing or even driving, for the times that you are in a rush.

    No sticky mess to deal with — the perfect finger food, whether you’re on the go, or watching the big game with friends.

    Stems of dried oregano next to calzones.

    I have to admit that calzones were not a food that I grew up with, nor were they food that appealed to me. Thank goodness it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind 🙂 It was only as an adult that I truly appreciated this Italian specialty, originating from Naples.

    How to Make the Best Calzone Recipe:

    A step by step photo collage of how to make calzones.

    As you can see, making calzones is just a simple 3-step process:

    Step 1: Combine the ingredients for the dough and let it rest until double in size.

    Step 2: While the dough is resting, combine and cook the ingredients for the filling.

    Step 3: Make the calzone by rolling out and stuffing the dough. Bake for 20 minutes and voilà…

    A spinach calzone cut in half on a plate.

    …you just made yourself some spinach and mushroom homemade calzones!

    Italian Dinner Recipes we Love:

    • Baked Cod Fish
    • Italian Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions
    • Roasted Vegetable Pasta
    • Pasta and Lentils
    • Italian Stuffed Shells 
    • Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

    A few calzones on a plate.

    Origins of the recipe for Homemade Calzones:

    A few years ago, I started experimenting with different recipes for calzones. I stopped searching when I found this calzone recipe on this website.

    The calzone dough is extremely easy to work with and you can easily choose your fillings depending on your personal preferences (or if you are like me, depending on what you have in your fridge).

    My favorite filling includes ricotta, mozzarella, and mushrooms… yum! Just remember to respect the total volume of the cooked filling, which is approximately 3 cups. Otherwise, you might end up with too much filling and not enough dough, or vice versa.

    There are so many variations when it comes to these Homemade Calzones, I don’t even know where to begin.

    Almost anything goes!

    I’ve decided to share with you one of my favorite recipes, a simple mushroom spinach homemade calzone. Once you feel comfortable making this recipe, I am sure you’ll be making your signature versions.

    Would love to hear about it!

    THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

    Ciao for now,

    Maria

    ★★★★★ If you have made this calzone recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

    A pile of calzones on a plate.

    Homemade Calzones

    You will be presently surprised to learn that making homemade calzones is a lot easier than you think. They freeze wonderfully and are a great solution to that timeless question, "What do I pack for lunch"?
    4.84 from 12 votes
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 310kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
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    Ingredients

    To prepare the dough:

    • 1 cup lukewarm water  105 °F-110 °F
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast 8 grams
    • 2½ cups all-purpose flour sifted and divided
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon olive oil for greasing bowl

    To prepare the filling:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 medium onion minced
    • 450 grams mushrooms fresh, sliced
    • 454 grams spinach or Swiss chard
    • 1/2 cup ricotta can also use feta cheese
    • 1 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • olive oil to brush tops of calzones
    • dried oregano to sprinkle on calzones

    Instructions

    How to make calzone dough:

    • Combine the yeast, sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl.
    • Stir with fork and set aside for about 5 minutes (it will begin to proof).
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, measure and sift 1 cup of flour.
    • Add yeast mixture. Combine with wooden spoon until smooth.
    • Add the rest of the sifted flour (1½ cups), oil, and salt. Mix on medium speed using dough hook attachment until smooth and elastic (approximately 5 minutes). Alternately, you can knead by hand.
    • Place in a lightly greased bowl. Turn dough over ensuring the entire dough has a thin layer of oil. (I use about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil).
    • Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for approximately 40 minutes (will double in size).

    For the filling:

    • Meanwhile, prepare your filling by adding about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan. Stir fry the garlic, onion, mushrooms and spinach. Set aside to cool off slightly.
    • Combine this vegetable mixture with the ricotta and mozzarella. Mix thoroughly together. 
    • Preheat oven to 400° F.
    • Pre-heat pizza stone (if using) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces. Knead each piece into a ball and then using a rolling pin, roll out your dough, on a lightly floured wooden board, to approx 4-5" circle.
    • Place about 1/2 cup of filling in the bottom half per calzone, making sure to not come within 1/2 inch of the edges.
    • Fold the dough over the filling and press to seal tightly.
    • Brush tops with olive oil. and sprinkle with dried oregano.
    • Make diagonal slits or prick the tops with a fork before baking allowing for the steam to escape.
    • Place calzones on a pre-heated pizza stone or on a parchment lined baking sheet.
    • Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. The bake time will depend on the size of your calzones.
    • Place on cooling rack.
    Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

    Notes

    Baking the calzones in a very hot oven will prevent the crust from getting soggy.
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 
    *recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 487mg | Potassium: 621mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5530IU | Vitamin C: 18.4mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3.9mg
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    Filed Under: Breakfast and Brunch, Main Dishes

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica

      November 21, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      I made the calzone recipe and filled it with a beef with taco seasoning, onions, fire roasted tomatoes, corn, poblano peppers, and cheese. The crust was AMAZING! I can’t wait to try other fillings! Thanks the the recipe!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 22, 2021 at 11:54 am

        My pleasure Jessica! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Rhonda

      November 12, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for my family. They rated them “5 stars hands down, an awesome meal”. Made a variation of the filling with peppers, olives, pesto, dried tomatoes, pizza sauce, and mozeralla. Great!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 13, 2021 at 12:36 pm

        How wonderful Rhonda! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Twyla

      March 08, 2021 at 1:17 pm

      5 stars
      I made calzones for the first time today, based off this recipe. They turned out fantastic, especially the bread. I used ricotta, feta, and parmesan, black olives, Turkey pepperoni, garlic, onions, and some basil and parsley from last year’s herb garden( I was out of spinach and mozzarella). The only thing I think it needed, was tomato sauce. So I made some after and we dipped/spread it on them. Next time I’ll put it in the filling.

      Reply
      • Maria

        March 10, 2021 at 9:20 pm

        Sounds like a delicious filling Twyla! Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to comment.

        Reply
    4. Michele

      January 04, 2021 at 7:21 pm

      5 stars
      They were delicious … the dough was easy to work with and a beautiful even consistency. I definitely will put the full 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella next time … I didn’t this round and they were a bit flat but delicious. Great recipe. Could this dough be good for empanadas ?

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 04, 2021 at 7:29 pm

        So thrilled to read this, thanks Michele! Although I have never tried it, it is basically the same principle…I think it should work as long as the mixture is not too wet. Thanks again for stopping by.

        Reply
    5. Kaitlin

      September 26, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      Lovely, easy dough recipe with great results on the first try. I made a variation on the filling with what I had and the calzones turned out great. I used a tomato sauce for dipping and it was a hit. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Maria

        September 26, 2020 at 10:05 pm

        How wonderful Kaitlin! Thrilled to read you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for sharing.

        Reply
      • Olga

        May 11, 2021 at 6:51 pm

        5 stars
        Wanted to put my new stand mixer to the test so I choose this recipe I have never made calzones ,the dough turned out stellar, as for the filling i choose my own variation overall results was perfect thank you!

        Reply
        • Maria

          May 12, 2021 at 8:17 pm

          How wonderful Olga! Thanks so much for taking the time to share.

    6. Steph

      August 17, 2020 at 12:09 am

      Are these ok to freeze before cooking?

      Reply
      • Maria

        August 17, 2020 at 3:29 pm

        Hi Steph, I have never frozen before cooking but I do freeze them after cooking all the time. Thanks for your interest.

        Reply
    7. Joe

      July 15, 2020 at 7:10 pm

      5 stars
      Have made calzones before but I ran across your site by chance just looking for new calzone ideas. I wish I had found it before…your recipe is my new favorite. Really delicious and they come out looking better for me with your method. I also appreciate your great idea of using olive oil/oregano for the tops (rather than the usual egg wash, which most others seem to use instead). The only variation for me is to sometimes include some tomato-based sauce for the filling, but the recipe is excellent as is, thank you.

      Reply
      • Maria

        July 15, 2020 at 8:20 pm

        I am so thrilled to read this Joe! Thanks so much for taking the time to share.

        Reply
    8. Rich M

      May 15, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      4 stars
      Made calzones last week and trying it for pizza dough this week. I weight my flour and it was a little wet so I added more flour. Dough is very tasty.

      Reply
      • Maria

        May 16, 2020 at 1:19 pm

        Thanks Rich!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Maria! a dietitian and full-time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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