The Calzone
I absolutely love calzones. They’re delicious, really fun and easy to make, and pretty cheap depending on what ingredients you use. The following recipe is the one I use on a regular basis, the same one my father taught me when I was a child. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A package of pepperoni (or whatever other meet you want to use, like bacon, sausage, etc.)
- A 4-pack of biscuits (I personally prefer the Pillsbury brand, but you can use any)
You can also use this dough recipe - A large package of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced (Here is a link on how to peel and mince garlic cloves)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- A jar of marinara sauce (for dipping)
- A pizza pan (or baking pan)
The first thing you need to do is pre-heat the oven to whatever temperature is on the biscuit can (usually around 400 degrees or so).
After you’ve done that, the next step is to make a garlic butter sauce to be rubbed on the outside of the dough. In a small saucepan, heat garlic and butter over medium heat until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and allow to sit.
Then it’s time to make our dough. If you buy the biscuit dough, you’ll need to open two of the four cans and smoosh the individual biscuits together until it forms a unified lump of dough.
The next step is to spray your baking sheet or pizza pan with PAM, or any other cooking spray. You’ll then need to get your roller out and cover it and your hands with flour, so it won’t stick to the dough. Roll the dough out as best as you can to the edges of the pan, getting it as thin as possible without breaking it.
Next you’ll place your toppings on one side of the calzone. I’m using pepperoni and cheese, so that’s what I placed on mine. Make sure it’s only on one side of the calzone.
The next step is to grab the side of the calzone that doesn’t have toppings on it and fold it over the topping side. Seal it by rolling the two edges of the dough together, and cut a hole in the top to release the steam that builds up during the baking process.
You’ll then liberally coat the outside of the dough with the garlic butter.
Place the calzone in the oven, and let sit for however long the biscuit instructions say it takes to cook. (Usually about 15-17 minutes.) If you use the dough recipe, that cooking time goes up to about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven when the top of the calzone is golden brown. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Serve with heated marinara sauce.
