Classic Calzone Recipe | Pizza Pocket (Vegetarian)

This Calzone recipe or Closed Pizza Pocket recipe is a vegetarian snack of delicious calzone stuffed with a filling of red bell peppers, herbs and cheese.

Calzone are basically folded Italian bread stuffed with veggies and cheese. the outer bread is made from pizza dough. Smaller shaped calzones can be fried too, but usually they are baked.

Since once in a while I make Pizza, I also end up sometimes making calzone. In fact they are easy to prepare. So while the dough leavens, you prepare the stuffing which does not take much times. Assemble and then prepare the calzones.

If you have some leftover pizza dough, then it is quick to prepare the calzone. Apart from a nice snack, they also go well as tiffin or lunch box snack.

Instead of proofing the yeast directly, I have used the Sponge method. I have used both whole wheat flour/atta & all purpose flour/maida for the dough. However, you can also make the calzones only with all purpose flour/maida or with whole wheat flour.

I usually prepare calzones with a simple stuffing of bell peppers, onions, basil, cream and cheese. You can even add the regular pizza toppings like onion, tomatoes, corn, baby corn, mushrooms, olives etc in the stuffing. I used my basic pizza recipe to make these the dough.

This is a long step by step post, so please bear. to make it easy, I have divided the entire calzone recipe post into 5 parts.

1. Sponge method
2. Preparing calzone dough
3. Preparing the veggie stuffing
4. Assembling, rolling and shaping calzone
5. Baking calzone

How to make calzone recipe

Sponge method 

1. warm water. Add sugar and sprinkle instant yeast. Stir.

2. Add ½ Cup of all purpose flour/maida.

3. Stir & beat this mixture very well. There should be no lumps.

4. Cover the bowl allow the mixture to bubble up at room temperature for 30 minutes to 50 minutes. If the room temperature is hot or warm, then this process will take less time. The mixture will have a thin pudding like consistency.

5. The sponge after 40 minutes has bubbled up.

Making calzone dough

6. add the 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and 1 cup whole wheat flour/atta in this sponge mixture.

7. stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.

8. later add other 1 cup of whole wheat flour and continue stirring till the whole mixture gathers together and starts leaving the sides of the bowl.

9. lastly add the ½ Cup of whole wheat flour and working with your hands begin to knead.

10. place the whole dough mixture on the work surface and knead very well till the dough becomes smooth, springy and elastic. add more water if required.

11. brush water all over the dough and place in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel.

12. allow to leaven and rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

13. once the dough has risen well & doubled, divide the dough into 5 equal balls. place them in a bowl covered for about 10-15 minutes.

Making calzone stuffing

1. Chop the onions, red bell pepper and garlic.

2. heat olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute till the onions soften and turn translucent.

3. add the bell pepper and saute till the bell pepper is almost cooked. some crunch is desirable in the bell peppers.

4. then add the crushed black pepper, salt, red or white wine (optional), basil and parsley or coriander.

5. stir well and switch off the stove.

6. when the filling has become warm, grate the cheese on top of it.

7. add cream

8. Mix well. Keep this calzone filling aside till it completely cools.

Making calzone

1. before baking pre heat the oven 20 minutes before at 250 degrees C. Take a dough ball on a lightly dusted work surface or board.

2.  roll into a round of 5-6 inches diameter, like a thick chapati.

3. place the filling on one side keeping a gap of about 1 cm all around the circumference edge.

4. gently cover the stuffed side.

5. Join the edges.

6. press with a fork so that the edges are pressed well.  you can also brush some water and then press the edges. The edges have to pressed and closed properly as you don’t want the filling to come out while baking and create a mess. You can also make small shaped calzones.

Baking calzone

7. Brush with oil or milk.

8. gently lift and place the calzone in a greased tray. make other calzones this way.

9. place the calzone in the pre heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Mine were golden after exact 18 minutes. Remove them with the help of a spatula and keep on a wire rack for cooling. Brush the surface with olive oil when they are still hot.

10. you can bake all of them once if you have a large oven or bake calzone in batches as I have done. When calzone are warm, slice them and Serve calzone with tomato sauce or pizza sauce.

More Pizza Recipes

• Bread roll
• Bread pizza
• Margherita pizza
• Thin crust pizza
• How to make pizza without oven

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Classic Calzone Recipe (Vegetarian)

4.67 from 6 votes

By Dassana Amit

Calzone is also known as pizza pocket. They are baked and stuffed with a creamy & cheesy red bell pepper stuffing.

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Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr 40 mins

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Cuisine Italian, World

Course: Snacks

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Servings 5 calzones

Units

Ingredients

for outer bread cover of calzone

• ▢ 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
• ▢ ½ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1.25 cups water or add as required
• ▢ 1 teaspoon instant yeast or ½ tbsp dry active yeast
• ▢ a pinch of sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt or add as required

for veggie stuffing of calzone

• ▢ 1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 extra large red bell pepper or 2 medium bell peppers (you can choose any one - green red or yellow or a combo), chopped
• ▢ 2 to 3 small to medium garlic cloves, , finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white wine or red wine, optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped parsley or coriander leaves
• ▢ 70 to 80 grams cheese, mozarella or cheddar or half-half
• ▢ 2 tablespoons low fat cream, 25% to 35% fat
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ salt and freshly crushed black pepper as required
• ▢ some olive oil for brushing the calzones

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Instructions

sponge method for calzone

• Warm the water. Dissolve sugar, sprinkle yeast and the 1/2 cup of all purpose flour.
• With a wired whisk, beat this sponge mixture well and make sure there are no lumps.
• Close the bowl and allow the mixture to bubble up at room temperature for about 30 mins to 50 mins.

making calzone dough

• Add the 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and 1 cup whole wheat flour in this sponge mixture.
• Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Later add other 1 cup of whole wheat flour and continue stirring till the whole mixture gathers together and starts leaving the sides of the bowl.
• Lastly add the 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and working with your hands begin to knead.
• Place the whole dough mixture on the work surface and knead very well till the dough becomes smooth, springy and elastic. Add more water if required.
• Brush water all over the dough and place in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel.
• Allow to leaven and rise for about 45 mins to 1 hour.
• Once the dough has risen well & doubled up, divide the dough into 5 equal balls.
• Place them in a bowl covered for about 10-15 minutes.

making calzone stuffing

• Heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute till the onions soften and turn translucent.
• Add the bell pepper and saute till the bell pepper are almost cooked.
• Some crunch is desirable in the bell peppers.
• Then add the crushed black pepper, salt, wine, basil and parsley or coriander.
• Stir well and switch off the stove.
• When the filling has become warm, grate the cheese on top of it.
• Add the cream and mix well.
• Keep this calzone filling aside till it completely cools.

assembling and making calzone

• Before baking pre heat the oven 20 minutes before at 250 degrees c.
• Take a ball and roll into a round of 5-6 inches diameter.
• Place the filling on one side keeping a gap of about 1 cm all around the edge.
• Gently cover the stuffed side and join the edges.
• Press with a fork so that the edges are pressed well.
• You can also brush some water and then press the edges.

baking calzone

• The calzone have to be folded really well, so that the stuffing does not come out while baking. Gently lift and place the calzone in a greased tray. Make other calzones this way.
• Place the calzone in the pre heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes till they are golden from top.
• Remove them with the help of a spatula and keep on a wire rack for cooling.
• Brush the calzone surface with olive oil when they are still hot.
• You can bake all of them once if you have a large oven or bake in batches.
• When they are warm, slice them and serve with tomato sauce or pizza sauce.

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