A baked calzone is a delicious Italian dish that resembles a folded pizza or turnover. It consists of a pizza dough that is filled with various ingredients, such as cheese, vegetables, meats, and sauces. The calzone is then folded over and sealed, creating a pocket of goodness. It is typically baked until the dough is golden brown and crispy.
Health Benefits:
The health benefits of a baked calzone largely depend on the ingredients used. Here are some considerations:
Opting for whole wheat pizza dough adds more fiber and nutrients to your calzone.
Including a variety of vegetables like bell peppers, onions, spinach, and mushrooms can provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Using lean meats like chicken or turkey, or plant-based proteins like tofu or legumes can reduce saturated fat content.
Pay attention to the size of your calzone to control portion sizes and avoid overeating.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve the calzone with a side of marinara sauce or pizza sauce for dipping.
Pair it with a fresh green salad or a side of roasted vegetables to add more nutrients and balance to the meal.
You can also enjoy it as a standalone meal for lunch or dinner.
Tips and Variations:
Feel free to get creative with your fillings. Try combinations like ham and pineapple, chicken and pesto, or even a vegetarian version with feta cheese, tomatoes, and spinach.
Be mindful not to overfill the calzone, as it may be difficult to seal and could result in a soggy crust.
Make a few small slits on the top of the calzone before baking to allow steam to escape, preventing the calzone from becoming too doughy.
Aside from the dried Italian herbs, you can add other seasonings like garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs like basil or oregano to enhance the flavours.
Baked calzones are a delicious and satisfying meal or snack that can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages. The combination of crispy dough and flavorful fillings makes them a popular choice among pizza lovers.
Here’s a general recipe for making a baked calzone.
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Baked Calzone Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Calzone is an oven-baked folded mini pizza pocket that is super easy to make at home. I have made it with multigrain flour, stuffed with cheese, corn or vegetables and is baked golden. This homemade Calzone is a delicious Italian favorite!
Ingredients
For the Calzone Dough
- 2 cups multigrain flour + for dusting
- Salt to taste
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil + for greasing and brushing
- 2 tablespoons warm water + for kneading
- 1 tablespoon fresh yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
For Calzone Filling
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, cut into rings
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- ½ cup sweet corn kernels, boiled
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 200 grams cottage cheese (paneer), grated
- 20 grams cheddar cheese
- 5–6 fresh basil leaves
- Salt to taste
- Black peppercorns, crushed
Equipments
- Baking tray
- Cookie cutter
Instructions
For the Calzone Dough
- First, in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of warm water along with fresh yeast.
- Add yeast and sugar.
- With the help of whisk, stir well.
- Cover the bowl and keep aside until it is activated.
- In a big bowl, add multigrain flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Now add the activated yeast and mix it well with a wooden spoon or using your hands.
- Add sufficient water to knead to make a soft dough.
- Continue kneading till the whole mixture gathers together and starts leaving the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen cloth and set aside to rise or doubled up.
For the Calzone Filling
- In a non-stick pan or skillet, heat ½ tbsp olive oil.
- Add onion rings and gently saute till the onions soften.
- Add chopped green chilli, boiled corn kernels and chopped tomato.
- Saute for 2-3 minutes till it is cooked.
- Turn off the heat and transfer it into a bowl.
- Add grated cottage cheese and cheddar cheese to the corn mixture.
- Then add salt to taste, basil leaves, and crushed black peppercorns.
- Mix everything well and set the filling aside to cool.
For Baking
- Preheat the oven to 250º C 20 minutes before baking.
- Grease a baking tray with some olive oil.
- Dust the worktop with some flour and roll the dough into a round of 5 to 6 inches diameter.
- With a medium size cookie cutter, cut out 4 discs.
- Brush the edges of the discs with some water and place a portion of the corn filling in the centre. Fold the calzone into a semicircle and pleat the edges well. Make sure the edges are pressed well.
- Place the calzones gently on the greased tray and brush some olive oil.
- Put the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes till they are golden from top.
- Remove them with the help of a spatula and arrange them on a serving platter.
- Cut in half and serve hot with tomato sauce, ketchup or pizza sauce.
Notes
- To activate yeast, whisk the yeast mixture well. Make sure, there should be no lumps remaining in this mixture. Keep aside to bubble up at room temperature for about 30-50 minutes.
- Knead the dough very well till the dough becomes smooth, springy and has an elastic texture. If required, add more water.
- If you do not want to use olive oil, use any neutral flavoured oil like sunflower oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil.
- You can make the recipe your own by adding your preferred veggies, cheese, herbs and spices. You can even add button mushrooms.
- You can press the folded edges with a fork so that the edges are pressed well.
- Oven temperatures can va, so it can take less or more time to bake. If you make smaller sized pizza pockets, the baking time will reduce.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: Italian
