Homemade Cheesy Pepperoni Calzones

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We’re on a mission to make calzones mainstream again! In the early ’00s, calzones seemed to be the thing to order at every pizza place. And we’re here to bring some nostalgia straight to your kitchen. After one bite of the soft golden crust and warm tomato sauce and gooey cheese in the center, you’ll wonder why they got pushed aside. 

The homemade dough is what takes these calzones from good to something you’ll want to bring back to the dinner rotation. The soft homemade dough is seasoned with Italian seasoning and bakes up soft and pillowy while getting perfectly crisp on the outside. The dough is folded around herby pizza sauce, gooey melted mozzarella cheese, and slices of spicy pepperoni. The top of each calzone is brushed with an egg wash for a golden, shiny finish before being sprinkled with parmesan cheese. As they bake in the oven, they get toasty. 

Have some fun and set up a calzone bar in your kitchen so that everyone can customize their calzones and fill them with their favorite pizza toppings. They’re perfect for a casual Friday night dinner with family, a girls’ night, or for serving at a game day. However you choose to serve them, they will for sure have everyone wondering why the calzone comeback hasn’t happened sooner!

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Cheesy Pepperoni Calzones

• The homemade calzone dough! This dough is the star of the show for these calzones. It is soft and fluffy and gets crisp around the edges as it bakes.
• Super convenient to eat or even take on the go! They’re basically a large pizza pocket! All the toppings are tucked inside the dough pocket, which makes it super easy to grab and eat on the go. You don’t have to worry about all the cheese dripping off the pizza in one swoop!
• A fun way to change up pizza night. If you’re wanting something a little more exciting than another round of pizza slices, these calzones are the perfect way to switch up your weekly pizza night! 

How to Make These Cheesy Pepperoni Calzones, Step by Step

Step 1. Make the homemade calzone dough.

This calzone dough is the only non-negotiable of this recipe! It is the star of the show and what makes these pizza pockets perfectly fluffy and crisp on the edges. 

You can use a stand mixer to mix and knead the dough. But if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix your ingredients in a large bowl and knead by hand. 

Start by adding lukewarm water (about 110°F) to a bowl with some sugar and honey. The sugar and honey will help to feed the yeast and add the slightest sweetness to the dough. Whisk together the mixture and sprinkle yeast over the warm water mixture. Let the yeast activate and bubble for about 10 minutes. 

Once the yeast is activated, alternate mixing in flour and salt and then some olive oil for moisture. You’ll do this several times until you have a shaggy dough. 

If you are using a stand mixer, add the hook attachment and knead the dough on high for about 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with your hands about 5 minutes. You will know the dough is ready when you lightly press it and it bounces back with ease. 

Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise for an hour until it’s doubled in size. 

Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to separate the dough into 4 even pieces of dough and roll them into balls. Place them on a piece of parchment paper to rise for an additional 30 minutes. 

Step 2. Preheat oven to 425°F and warm garlic, pizza sauce, and basil in a skillet.

While the dough is rising for the second time, start preheating the oven and warm the pizza sauce.

Heating the sauce isn’t necessary, but we wanted to add some fresh flavors to a store-bought pizza sauce by adding some extra garlic and fresh basil 

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add some oil and garlic to the skillet. Let the garlic heat for several minutes before pouring the jar of pizza sauce into the skillet. Once the pizza sauce is warm and bubbling slightly, stir in some fresh basil leaves and remove it from the heat. 

Step 3. Roll out dough into rounds, spread fillings, fold dough, and seal the calzones.

Roll each dough ball into 8-inch flat rounds. Spread some sauce in the center of the round and top it with some cheese and pepperoni. Leave the edges bare so that you can seal the calzones.  

Fold the rounds in half to make a semi-circle.  Press to seal the edges of the pepperoni calzone with a fork or roll the bottom edge over the top. If you want to get fancy, you can do a rope fold. 

Tip: Dip your fingers in a little bit of water and use them to brush a small amount of water along the edge of the dough to seal the dough together. 

Step 4. Brush with egg wash, cook in a preheated oven, and finish with a sprinkle of parmesan.

After you’ve assembled all the calzones, brush an egg wash over the top of each calzone. The egg will create a shiny, golden-brown topping on each calzone. 

Place the calzones on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated 450°F oven for about 20 minutes, until the tops are a deep golden brown color. As soon as you remove them from the oven, sprinkle the tops with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. 

Let the calzones set for about 8-10 minutes before diving in! Serve them with a side of marinara sauce or ranch (for all the pizza and ranch lovers)!

Tips for Making Cheesy Pepperoni Calzones

• Make sure the yeast activates. Heat the milk to about 110°F and pour the yeast in the milk. Let the yeast sit for about 3-5 minutes until it bubbles. If nothing happens, your yeast may not be active. 
• Give the dough enough time to rise. The dough should be roughly doubled in size after it rises. Depending on the humidity and temperature, it should take anywhere from 1-2 hours to double.
• Seal the edges tightly before baking. Lightly dampen the edges with some water and fold it over the filling. Firmly press the edges to seal and make sure there aren’t any gaps where the cheese or sauce could escape while baking. 
• Don’t overfill the calzones. It can be tempting to pile on the cheese and pepperoni, but too much filling can make it difficult to properly seal the calzones. And if they aren’t sealed, the filling could ooze out as it cooks. Fill each one with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce, a generous handful of cheese, and about 6-8 slices of pepperoni.

How to know when to stop kneading the bread dough

The dough should require about five minutes of kneading. But to be sure, you can use one of these methods to test your dough as you are kneading. If it passes one of these tests, you can stop kneading and let it rise.

• Poke test: Poke the dough. If it bounces back, you’re done kneading.
• Windowpane test: Pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it until it is very thin. Hold it up to the light. If you can see light through the dough before it tears, you are done kneading. 

How to store and reheat leftover calzones

Cool the calzones completely before storing them. Store the cooled calzones in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven to restore the crisp crust.  You can reheat them in the microwave, but the dough will be softer and may not be crisp.

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