Make delicious vegan calzones with this vegan pizza pockets recipe. Use store-bought dough or my easy vegan pizza dough! Then load them with your favorite fillings, fold, and bake for a irresistible snack or meal that freezes and reheats beautifully!
2 ½cupsof all purpose or whole wheat flour, more for rolling
1teaspoonof salt
Calzone:
½jarof marinara sauce~13 ounces
½cupchopped red or green bell pepper
½cupdiced red or white or yellow onionabout ½ medium onion
1canof sliced black olives, drained2.25 ounces
Optional Additions:
4vegan chick'n strips, baked and chopped
1cupvegan cheese
½cupchopped crimini mushrooms
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
To assemble the pizza dough: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let it about 10 minutes or until it turns foamy.
Add olive, flour, and salt and mix well. Remove the dough and knead it more flour to prevent sticking. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Divide the pizza dough into 3 or 4 balls, depending on the size of the calzones you’d like.
On a well-floured surface (I prefer using two baking sheets rather than my countertop), take each ball and roll it out into a circle.
Place 1/2 cup marinara sauce on the middle of each piece of dough, leaving a 1-inch space from the edge.
Place the bell pepper, onion, and olives over the sauce. Fold each piece of dough in half, fold the edges over, and pinch the edges together.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the calzones are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.
Notes
To save time: Use a pre-made vegan pizza dough. That'll save time and make for a super easy calzone prep!
Ensure the dough isn't too thick: Calzone dough should be very thin. 1/4-inch is my recommended thickness. That way, it's not too thin that it may burst while cooking, but not too thick and doughy.
Don't be stingy with the fillings: While it's definitely possible to overfill the vegan calzone, you can still get away with quite a lot. I often stuff my fillings up several inches high before folding the calzone. I recommend using around ¼-1/3 cup fillings per calzone.
Don't fold the calzone too tightly: Or there's a chance it may burst in the oven. Although even with all your best intentions, fillings can still sometimes escape. There's no need to worry if they do, it'll still taste delicious!
To avoid soggy calzone: Make a few small slices/ fork prods in the top of the veg calzone to allow steam to release. This will help you avoid soggy and bursting dough while they bake.
If you have a pizza stone, use it: Alternatively, you can place an inverted oven pan in the oven while it preheats and carefully transfer the calzones to it before baking. This will help you get a super crispy base.
Adjust the baking time: Based on the size (regular, extra-large, or mini calzones).