Mini Calzones
Yield: About 48 calzones
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Tips: You can make bread dough from scratch or buy pre-packaged bread dough from store.
Suggestion: Delicious served with Marinara sauce for dipping.
Calzones are so versatile! They can be made large enough to serve as a main course, or made in petite sizes to be served as appetizers. They can be stuffed with as many combinations of ingredients as you can imagine. Italian in origin, calzones are often stuffed with pizza ingredients, such as mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and traditional pizza
meats - resulting in a closed pizza sandwich.
These Mini Calzones are small appetizers, measuring only about 2 1/2 inches long, and are made with your choice of homemade bread dough or pre-packaged dough you can find in the freezer section of grocery stores. These calzones are then stuffed with a mixture of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage and a combination of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, along with some herbs and a small amount of egg to hold this delicious mixture together. They are then rolled in melted butter, then coated with grated Parmesan cheese, and baked in just 10-15 minutes. Once these golden beauties are done, transfer them to a serving dish with a bowl of homemade or store-purchased Marinara for dipping, and you will have a warm and delicious appetizer that all ages will enjoy!
These Mini Calzones are small appetizers, measuring only about 2 1/2 inches long, and are made with your choice of homemade bread dough or pre-packaged dough you can find in the freezer section of grocery stores. These calzones are then stuffed with a mixture of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage and a combination of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, along with some herbs and a small amount of egg to hold this delicious mixture together. They are then rolled in melted butter, then coated with grated Parmesan cheese, and baked in just 10-15 minutes. Once these golden beauties are done, transfer them to a serving dish with a bowl of homemade or store-purchased Marinara for dipping, and you will have a warm and delicious appetizer that all ages will enjoy!
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- Bread Dough (or use 2 loaves pre-packaged frozen bread dough)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or wheat or mixture of both)
- 1 tablespoon (or 1 package) active dry yeast
- all purpose flour (for dusting)
- Filling
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled Italian sausage
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup melted butter
-
Marinara Sauce
- See Marinara Sauce for recipe.
Directions
If using prepackaged bread dough, thaw according to package directions and skip "Bread Dough (Mixing)" directions below.
Place all ingredients in bread machine bowl in order listed. Select "dough" setting on bread machine and press "start." If dough looks too sticky, add a little flour (1 tablespoon at a time). If dough looks too dry and tough, add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time). Just at the point when dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bread machine bowl is when dough has reached the right consistency. Allow to rise in bread machine while preparing filling ingredients and marinara sauce.
Place all ingredients in order listed into electric mixer bowl. Mix on lowest setting until flour is mixed in with water. Increase speed to medium, and continue until dough is thoroughly blended. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl once during process. If dough is too sticky, add a little flour (1 tablespoon at a time). If dough is too dry and tough, add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time). Just at the point when dough no longer sticks to the sides of the electric mixer bowl is when dough has reached the right consistency. Form dough into a ball and place in a large oiled glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise while preparing filling ingredients and marinara sauce.
In a medium mixing bowl, add Ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese (reserve remaining 1/2 cup for later use) and egg. Stir in sausage, herbs and garlic powder. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Cut bread dough in half and form both halves into balls. Wrap one ball with plastic wrap (to prevent drying) and set aside. Form other ball into a disk shape, then roll with a rolling pin on lightly floured work area until thickness reaches 1/8-inch. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut circles out of dough, gathering leftover scraps to re-roll and cut again until all dough is used up.
Have a small bowl of water ready near work area. Place 1 teaspoon of filling mixture in center of each circle of dough. Dip your finger in the small bowl of water and wet entire edge of dough circle. Fold circle in half and bring edges together. Press edges together with tines of a fork to seal, dipping fork in some flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Dip calzones (both sides) in melted butter, then gently roll in grated Parmesan cheese. Place on baking sheet.
Bake in middle of preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown. (Be careful not to overcook, because this will cause cheese to ooze out of calzones.) Remove from baking sheet and place on wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.
If desired, serve with Marinara sauce. (See Marinara Sauce for recipe and print out separately.)
Mixing Bread Dough
Bread Machine Method
Place all ingredients in bread machine bowl in order listed. Select "dough" setting on bread machine and press "start." If dough looks too sticky, add a little flour (1 tablespoon at a time). If dough looks too dry and tough, add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time). Just at the point when dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bread machine bowl is when dough has reached the right consistency. Allow to rise in bread machine while preparing filling ingredients and marinara sauce.
Electric Mixer Method
Place all ingredients in order listed into electric mixer bowl. Mix on lowest setting until flour is mixed in with water. Increase speed to medium, and continue until dough is thoroughly blended. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl once during process. If dough is too sticky, add a little flour (1 tablespoon at a time). If dough is too dry and tough, add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time). Just at the point when dough no longer sticks to the sides of the electric mixer bowl is when dough has reached the right consistency. Form dough into a ball and place in a large oiled glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise while preparing filling ingredients and marinara sauce.
Filling
In a medium mixing bowl, add Ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese (reserve remaining 1/2 cup for later use) and egg. Stir in sausage, herbs and garlic powder. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Forming Bread Dough
Cut bread dough in half and form both halves into balls. Wrap one ball with plastic wrap (to prevent drying) and set aside. Form other ball into a disk shape, then roll with a rolling pin on lightly floured work area until thickness reaches 1/8-inch. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut circles out of dough, gathering leftover scraps to re-roll and cut again until all dough is used up.
Have a small bowl of water ready near work area. Place 1 teaspoon of filling mixture in center of each circle of dough. Dip your finger in the small bowl of water and wet entire edge of dough circle. Fold circle in half and bring edges together. Press edges together with tines of a fork to seal, dipping fork in some flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Dip calzones (both sides) in melted butter, then gently roll in grated Parmesan cheese. Place on baking sheet.
Bake in middle of preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown. (Be careful not to overcook, because this will cause cheese to ooze out of calzones.) Remove from baking sheet and place on wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.
If desired, serve with Marinara sauce. (See Marinara Sauce for recipe and print out separately.)
