At 11 Inch Pizza, we have perfected the art of making the perfect calzone. As a member of the pizza family, calzones are often overlooked but can be just as delicious. We love making the best calzone in Melbourne, so here are some of our tips to pass on the joy.
What is a Calzone?
Essentially, a calzone is a folded over pizza. What makes it special, though, is its crispy exterior and gooey interior. One of the problems many people have when assembling their pizza is overloading it with toppings so that it becomes soggy. With calzones on the other hand, you’re encouraged to put your favourite fillings inside, including a whole lot of cheese.
If you’re making pizza the traditional way and making your own dough, sometimes when you’re attempting to get your pizza on or off your pizza peel, your pizza will fold over on itself. Though it may not have been your original intention, by turning your pizza into a calzone you can make the best of a bad situation.
How to Make Calzones
Here is an easy method to make the perfect at-home calzones.
Step 1: The Dough
For calzones, you’ll want to make the dough from scratch. The dough used for calzones is a typical yeasted pizza dough, made with flour, yeast, salt and water. If you’d like, you can use dough flavoured with herbs or wholemeal dough – whatever strikes your fancy. However, no matter what kind of dough you make, make sure to sit it in a well-oiled bowl, lightly covered at room temperature for at least half an hour before making your calzones.
Step 2: The Filling
Waiting for the dough to rise is the perfect time to get started on making your calzone fillings. Feel free to get creative here. Classic calzones are usually filled with cheese, like ricotta and mozzarella. Other basic classics include: provolone cheese, cheddar cheese, ham, salami, pepperoni, spinach and fetta, and sautéed garlic.
If you want to get a bit more creative with your calzone fillings, you can take inspiration from the flavours of some of your other favourite dishes. You can even make dessert calzones, which are perfect when served with whipped cream or ice cream. For example:
- Breakfast Calzones – with cheddar cheese, scrambled egg, bacon and spinach
- Lasagne Calzones – with mince, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan
- Hawaiian Calzones – with ham, pineapple, pizza sauce and chees
- Curry Calzones – with leftover curry and wilted greens
- Nutella Dessert Calzones – with chocolate and hazelnuts
- S’mores Dessert Calzones – with chocolate and marshmallow
- Apple Pie Dessert Calzones – with stewed apple and cinnamon
If you’re using vegetables or meats, cook them first and then add any cheeses and seasoning.
Step 3: Forming the Calzone
This is when making calzones gets a little trickier and some people trip up.
First, take your risen dough, punch it down and divide it into balls (how many balls you form depends on how much dough you have made, but usually you use the same amount of dough to form a calzone as you would a pizza). On a well-floured surface, stretch out the balls of dough to an oval or circle about a centimetre thick and roughly 25cm to 30cm in diameter.
The place your filling on one half of the dough. Don’t skimp out on the filling but make sure to leave about 2.5cm around the edge so you can still seal it later.
Gently fold your dough in half so that it is covering the filling – it should be a semi-circle at this point. Make sure you wet your hands so they don’t stick to the dough, and gently press the edges shut. Ensure that it is completely shut, including the corners, otherwise your calzone will be prone to leaking. You can also use a fork or a pasta cutter for this step.
Step 4: Bake and Enjoy
Before placing them in the oven, make sure to score the top of your calzones with a sharp knife. This will allow steam to escape while they’re cooking and so decrease the likelihood of them leaking.
Cook them in 220º Celsius over for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to allow them to cook for the full time, even if they seem ready—calzones may look cooked on the outside but the inside probably won’t be!
11 Inch Pizza’s Calzones
Does making your own calzones seem a bit overwhelming to you? Or maybe just a bit too time consuming for your busy schedule? 11 Inch Pizzas offers a wide range of calzones to suit any craving you may have. And you don’t have to worry about losing the delicious home-cooked taste – we make all our pizzas and calzones with love and care, using only the freshest possible ingredients. We even have gluten free (note: finished pizza contains minimal amounts of gluten), lactose-free and vegan options!
