My homemade Cheese Calzone recipe makes six generously sized calzones that taste like they came from my favorite pizzeria. I fill them with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh herbs. Plus, the recipe comes with the most delicious homemade marinara dipping sauce.
Table of Contents
This recipe makes six calzones for about $1.77 per calzone. The entire recipe costs around $10.64.
Cheese Calzone
Looking through my list of favorite Italian recipes, I realized something is missing. I don’t have a homemade calzone recipe, and it’s time I fix that!
The recipe I developed is easy to follow and yields six large calzones that rival any pizzeria. There’s nothing quite like biting into a warm, cheesy calzone straight from my oven. With a gooey blend of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh herbs, this homemade calzone recipe tastes better than takeout and saves me money!
What is Cheese Calzone Made Of?
Per Serving Cost: $1.77
Recipe Cost: $10.64
To make this recipe you’ll need these easy-to-find ingredients.
NOTE: I calculate the recipe prices using name-brand grocery prices on grocery store websites. The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
- 1 ¾ cups warm water – $0.00
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast – $0.36
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour – $1.15
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt – $0.02
- ¼ cup + 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – $0.87
- 1 teaspoon yellow cornmeal – $0.01
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese – $3.42
- 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella – $2.49
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese – $1.04
- 1 large egg – $0.37
- 1 large egg yolk – $0.19
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil – $0.30
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley – $0.24
- 3/8 teaspoon ground black pepper – $0.05
- 28- ounce can Hunt’s San Marzano whole tomatoes – $2.42
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar – $0.02
- 1 large garlic clove – $0.05
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano – $0.05
How To Make Cheese Calzone
Each number matches up with the numbered steps below.
Prep Dough:
1. First, add the yeast to the water and let it sit for five minutes. Mix in the olive oil.
2. Then, mix the bread flour and salt. Add in the yeast mixture and mix to combine.
3. Knead for four to five minutes.
4. Form the dough into a round ball and let it rise for 40-60 minutes in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Make Filling and Sauce:
5. Next, mix the filling ingredients and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
6. Then, blend the sauce ingredients in a blender for thirty seconds.
7. Place the sauce in a medium saucepan and let it simmer for thirty minutes.
Assemble Cheese Calzones:
8. Next, divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place the dough balls on a lined and greased baking sheet. Let the dough sit for fifteen minutes.
9. Next, grab one piece of dough and place it on a floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 9-inch circle.
10. Place one portion of filling on half of the dough.
11. Fold half of the dough over itself and seal the edges together.
12. Transfer the calzones to 9×7-inch pieces of parchment paper and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake and Finish:
13. Slide the calzones onto a pizza stone that has been sitting in a 500°F oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
14. After baking, place the calzones on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving with sauce.
How to Cook Calzones on a Pizza Stone
Disclosure: Affiliate links are below.
A good pizza stone can turn your regular oven into a pizza oven! I love this pizza stone or this baking steel for cooking calzones and pizza. I own both of these!
- Preheat the pizza stone in a 500°F oven for 30 minutes (whether using a standard or convection oven). Give it the full 30 minutes to get the pizza stone nice and hot! This will ensure a beautiful, crisp cheese calzone with no soggy bottom!
- Place the assembled calzones on small pieces of parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Then, slide the calzones onto the hot pizza stone with a pizza paddle or an inverted cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. The bottom of your calzone will be perfectly crisp.
Recipe Variations
My Cheese Calzone recipe below is the base recipe for many variations. Here are some of my favorites.
- Pepperoni: Place 1-2 ounces of pepperoni on top of the cheese filling before folding half of the dough over itself and pressing the edges to seal.
- Vegetables: To the cheese filling, add chopped roasted red bell pepper, sliced or chopped olives (black or kalamata), and steamed broccoli.
- Meat Lovers: Place ½ ounce of pepperoni, salami, and capicola on the cheese filling before sealing the calzone.
- Spinach & Artichoke: Add 1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts and ½ cup of thawed frozen chopped spinach squeezed of excess liquid to the filling recipe below.
- Broccoli Rabe & Sausage: Fill with ¼ cup of cooked Italian hot or sweet sausage and ¼ cup of cut, trimmed, and steamed broccoli rabe on top of the cheese filling mixture.
Storage Tips
SERVE: You can keep calzones at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours before it needs to be refrigerated.
STORE: Cover leftover calzones with plastic wrap or foil and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The sauce will need to be stored separately in an airtight container. It will last up to a week.
FREEZE: Cover leftover calzones with plastic wrap and a layer of foil and keep them in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. The sauce will keep in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months.
How To Reheat Calzones Once Frozen:
You have two options: reheat it from the frozen state or after thawing.
- Remove plastic wrap (not the foil) and place the calzones on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat in a 350-degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
- Thaw calzones in the fridge overnight, remove the plastic wrap (but not the foil), and bake at 350 degrees F until heated through, about 15-25 minutes.
Watch How To Make It
I aim to cater to different learning styles. If you prefer learning by watching, watch a video of this recipe below.
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Cheese Calzone
Ingredients
DOUGH:
- 1 ¾ cups warm water between 90-100 degrees F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour 22 ounces plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon yellow cornmeal
FILLING:
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella 8 ounces
- 1 cups grated Parmesan cheese 2 ounces
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅙ teaspoon ground black pepper
SAUCE:
- 28 ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
BRUSHING CALZONES:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
MAKE DOUGH:
- Measure water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, and then add yeast and give it a quick stir.
- Let the mixture sit until yeast is dissolved and a bit frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in olive oil to yeast mixture.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix bread flour and salt until combined.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the yeast mixture and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
- Stop the mixer and switch to a dough hook. Knead on medium speed until smooth, about 4-5 minutes.
- Form the dough into a smooth, round ball.
- Lightly oil a large bowl or container with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Move the dough to the prepared bowl or container and roll the dough around in the oil to lightly coat.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the container’s lid on and let the dough rise until double in size, about 40-60 minutes.
PREPARE FILLING:
- While the dough rises, make the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients.
- Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator until assembling the calzone.
PREPARE OVEN AND BAKING SHEETS:
- Right after making the filling, prepare the oven. It’s important to have a well-heated pizza stone for baking the calzones on top of.
- Move the oven rack to the lowest setting and place the pizza stone on top of that rack.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
MAKE SAUCE:
- Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process or blend on high until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
- Cover and keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
SHAPE DOUGH:
- Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface, divide it in half, and then each half into thirds (you should have six pieces of dough). Reshape each piece into a ball.
- Move the dough balls to the prepared baking sheet and cover them with lightly greased plastic wrap.
- Rest the dough for 15 minutes.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
- Cut 6, 9×7-inch pieces of parchment. Add a little cornmeal to each parchment piece.
- Take the filling out of the fridge and use a spoon to divide the filling into six portions.
- Grab one piece of dough (keep the others covered) and transfer it to a floured work surface.
- Roll the dough into a 9-inch circle.
- Place one portion of filling on half of the dough. Fold half of the dough over itself and press the edges to seal.
- Carefully transfer calzone to parchment, brush it with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
- Repeat with 2 more dough balls and filling.
- Trim the excess parchment, and then transfer the calzones to a pizza peel.
- Slide calzones onto the preheated pizza stone and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
- While the calzones are baking, assemble the remaining three calzones.
- Use a pizza peel to remove the baked calzones from the oven and place them on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Bake the last batch of calzones the same way.
SERVE:
- Serve the calzones with the sauce either in a small bowl for dipping or simply cover the entire calzone with sauce. Enjoy.
Notes
- You can use an inverted baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza peel.
- This recipe makes six large calzones.
- When I serve these with a salad, most adults that I serve these to will only eat half of a calzone.
Nutrition
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Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between calzone and stromboli?
Calzones and Stromboli are very similar. They use similar ingredients but differ in how they are made. For stromboli, you use square dough, fill it with various toppings, form it into a log, and bake it. For calzones, you use round dough, fill it with desired toppings, fold it in half, and bake it.
Why is it called a calzone?
No one knows precisely where the word calzone came from. However, it is understood that the phrase ‘calza,’ which calzone is derived from, means stocking. The thought for ‘calza’ refers to a Christmas stocking filled with food, popular in parts of Italy. So, it would make sense that a calzone is also filled with food.
Does a calzone have sauce in it?
A calzone does not have sauce inside of it. Instead, it is filled with meats, veggies, and herbs and then dipped in sauce.
Do calzones have cheese in them?
Yes! Calzones are little pockets of dough full of cheese that you dip in sauce.
How is calzone different from pizza?
While the ingredients are similar, they differ in how they are made. Pizzas use open flat dough with the toppings and sauce on top. Calzones wrap the dough around the cheese and other toppings. Then, you dip the calzones in marinara sauce.
More Italian Recipes
- Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Sausage and Peppers Pasta
- Skinny Lasagna Rolls with Spinach and Mushrooms
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
- Classic Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Italian Salad with Italian Salad Dressing
- Christmas Lasagna: an Italian Sausage Lasagna Recipe
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My family loves this recipe. I will be making these calzones again. Thanks for sharing
Wow I love these little cheesy pockets of goodness! Perfect for lunchboxes or an easy dinner. Thank sos much for the great recipe!
My kids loved them. The recipe was flawless, can’t wait to make again.
Perfect for dinner. The kids loved these and have already asked for them again next week.
This was so cheesy and delicious.
These were so easy to make, we got the kids involved and they ate every last morsel. Making them again next week. Thanks!
I made your cheese version and they were just fantastic! My boys were by for dinner and there were no leftovers. Can’t wait to try these with other fillings.