Pepperoni Calzones

Homemade calzones are a special easy-to-make dinner (even or a weeknight). Sometimes, I even crave them over the best pizza.

This recipe uses a no knead pizza dough that can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge or up to 3 months in advance and frozen. Calzones are also great way to use up that leftover jar of pasta sauce sitting in the back of your fridge because you only need about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of sauce.

For this version, I start with an easy and simple no-knead pizza dough then stuff it with pepperoni, creamy ricotta, and gooey mozzarella. In the end, you have crackling golden brown crust and a handheld dinner perfect for dipping in extra marinara sauce!

Be sure to follow along to learn the tricks of making good calzones at home!

How to Make Calzones

Calzones are easy to make a home and a fun way to get the whole family involved. Just keep these simple steps in mind. 

• Start with your favorite pizza dough. Personally, I use this no knead pizza dough, which makes a perfect batch of dough for four to six calzones depending on how large you like your calzones. You will need 2 hours to make it and let it rise, but you can also make it up to 48 hours in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready. 
• Fill the calzones the way you like them. I prefer a thin layer of marinara sauce and ricotta topped with sliced pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, but really any order will do.
• Don’t fill the calzone all the way to the edge of the dough. You need room to seal the edges together.
• To help the calzone seal, rub the edges of the calzone dough with a little water. 
• Crimp it closed with your fingers. (You can also use a fork to crimp the calzones, but I think fingers work better). 
• Once the calzones are sealed, brush them with egg wash and cut some slits in the each calzone to allow steam to escape as they bake. 

Difference Between Calzones and Stromboli

These are very close and sometimes get confused. Generally, a Stromboli is rolled up like a cinnamon roll and a calzone is folded. Both generally include cheese like ricotta or mozzarella and a mix of meat and vegetables. Stromboli tends to feature layers of ingredients similar to a sandwich while calzones have more of a chopped filling. 

I’ve always found calzones to be a bit easier to make and generally that’s what I make at home. 

Filling Suggestions and Substitutions

You can go absolutely crazy with calzone filling. Pretty much anything you could put on a pizza you can put in a calzone! 

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

• Mushrooms, sausage, and ricotta
• Chicken, BBQ sauce, and smoked gouda
• Spinach, garlic, ricotta, and mozzarella

How to Freeze and Reheat Calzones

If you are going to freeze these, I recommend baking them first, cooling them completely, and then freezing them. Freeze them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once they are frozen you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container for up to three months! 

Reheat the calzones in a 325˚F oven until they are warmed through (unwrap them from the plastic wrap, of course). 

Leftovers! If you have leftover calzones, they will keep fine in the fridge for 3-4 days or you can freeze them.

More Perfect Pizza Recipes

• Spicy Sausage Pizza
• Meat Lovers’ Sheet Pan Pizza
• Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
• Pepperoni Pizza Pockets
• Hawaiian Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
• BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Pizza