Description
Remember when calzones were the ultimate pizza-night order? These homemade cheesy pepperoni calzones bring them back with soft golden dough, herby pizza sauce, melty mozzarella, and pepperoni in every bite.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup water, lukewarm
- 1 1/2 tsp yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp olive oil (3 added to the dough, 1 added to grease bowl)
- 10 oz jar pizza sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup basil
- 1 cup Pepperoni slices
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Make dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 1 cup of lukewarm water, sugar, and honey. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it activate and bubble for about 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt
- Once the yeast is active, alternate adding in 1/3 of the flour mixture with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix to combine. Repeat 2 more times, adding the remaining flour and oil until everything is incorporated. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour until a shaggy dough forms.
- Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes. You will know if the dough is ready when you lightly press it and it bounces back pretty easily.
- Grease a separate bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and separate the dough into 4 even pieces. Roll the pieces of dough into balls, place them on a sheet of parchment paper, and let them rise for 30 more minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- While the dough is rising for the second time, heat minced garlic in some olive oil in a pan. Sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Pour 10 oz jar of pizza sauce in the skillet and stir. Once it’s warmed, stir in basil leaves and remove from heat.
- Roll out dough balls into 8-inch rounds. Fill the center with a couple of spoonfuls of pizza sauce, pepperoni slices, and mozzarella cheese.
- Fold the dough in half to make a semicircle. Lightly wet your fingers to seal the edges. You can also curl the edges to make a prettier edge. It may also help conceal the insides.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg, parmesan, and sesame seeds. Brush the tops of each calzone with the cheesy egg wash before baking.
- Bake the calzones for 18-22 minutes until crisp and brown on the outside, and the dough is cooked through.
- Serve the calzones hot with a side of ranch or extra marinara sauce for dipping!
- Prep Time: 20 mintues
- Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes