Calzones are often referred to as a stuffed pizza. Think of it as a cousin of the popover. It is basically pizza dough, filled with cheese, meats and vegetables. Marinara sauce is generally served as dipping sauce. In fact, if you insist on putting sauce in your calzone. . .it’s no longer a calzone.
So why do we love the calzone so much? Let me give you a few reasons why this is the ideal food to feed to a busy family!
#1. This is super easy to make. We most often make our own pizza dough but if you don’t have time you can buy it frozen.
#2. Each person can use their own fillings. This is one meal where each kid can have it their own way.
#3. This is a fun meal to make with the kids and since there’s no sauce involved in the making it’s less messy!
#4. There’s cheese inside. (Okay, so that’s really my husband’s gold standard of a good meal.)
#5. Is there a better way to sneak in some vegetables in your child’s diet besides hiding them amongst a bunch of other tasty fillings?
So are you convinced that you need to put calzones on your menu? We set up our own ‘calzone bar’ because it makes it easier to work with the kids. Here’s everything you need to know about how to do it.
Make the pizza crust first:
Pour 1 cup of warm water into a bowl. Test the water with your hand. It should feel very warm, but comfortable. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix until well blended. Add 2 tablespoons of yeast and mix again until well combined. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix until well blended. Add 2 to 3 more cups of flour and a little minced garlic and mix well. (How much minced garlic you use is up to you. You could also use different seasonings such as basil, oregano, etc.)
The dough should turn into a ball. If the dough doesn’t ball up and looks too dry, add water, one tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency. If the dough seems more like batter than workable dough, add flour one tablespoon at a time. To me, making sure you have the right consistency is one of the most important steps and it will ensure a great crust every time.
Once the dough is balled up, place the ball on a floured board and knead for about a minute. (This is the perfect chore for kids!) Kneading builds the gluten which helps the dough to rise and become fluffy when cooked. Place the dough in a plastic grocery bag or a covered bowl and store in a warm, dry area to rise.
After about 45 minutes the dough should be doubled in size. Punch it down and let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half. The dough is now ready to be rolled out.
Make the cheesy filling:
I don’t really have a recipe as much as a feeling of what looks right. I have yet to mess up calzones so I think it’s pretty forgiving. I generally use one large container of ricotta cheese. Then I add enough diced mozzarella. I can’t tell you what “enough” is. When it comes to cheese in our house, enough generally means that the mozzarella will be dripping out of your mouth in long gooey strings. Some people also add a beaten egg to this mixture. (I don’t because it’s just an extra step and the thought of twins with eggs scares me!)
The finishing touches:
Once you roll out the dough you can use a floured pizza cutter to cut out calzone sized squares. (A properly calzone sized square is however big you want it to be.) Spread the cheesy filling over each individual calzone. Make sure to put the filling on one side, but not so close to the edge that you can’t seal the seams. Any type of meats like ham, pepperoni, or salami go well in this. You can also add vegetables like mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach, and olives. This is where you can really get creative and add anything to suit your family’s tastes! We set the ingredients out in little bowls and let the kids add their own ingredients.
Seal the calzones and bake at 350 until golden brown on top.
Don’t forget the marinara sauce for dipping!
Other Pizza and Calzone Blogs right here on Families.com: