Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Dough: warm water 1 1/2 cups (105–110°F), instant yeast 2 1/4 tsp, sugar 1 tbsp, olive oil 1 tbsp, bread flour 3 3/4 cups, kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp
- Garlic white sauce: unsalted butter 2 tbsp, all-purpose flour 2 tbsp, garlic 2 cloves, whole milk 1 cup, heavy cream 1/4 cup, grated Parmesan 1/3 cup, salt 1/4 tsp, black pepper 1/8 tsp
- Pizza sauce: crushed tomatoes 3/4 cup, tomato paste 1 tbsp, olive oil 1 tsp, oregano 1 tsp, garlic powder 1/2 tsp, sugar 1/2 tsp, salt 1/2 tsp
- Fillings/toppings: shredded low-moisture mozzarella 2 1/2 cups (10 oz), whole-milk ricotta 3/4 cup, sliced pepperoni 4 oz (about 60 slices)
- Finish: melted unsalted butter 2 tbsp, garlic powder 1/4 tsp, grated Parmesan 2 tbsp
Do This
- 1. Make dough; rise 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 475°F with a sheet pan inside.
- 2. Cook garlic white sauce until thick; cool 5 minutes.
- 3. Stir together quick pizza sauce.
- 4. Shape dough into a 14-inch square on parchment; mark a 10-inch center “pizza zone.”
- 5. Fill the 4 corners with white sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta; fold and seal into calzone pockets.
- 6. Sauce and cheese the center; top with pepperoni. Bake 14–16 minutes; brush with butter-garlic and sprinkle Parmesan.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Best of both worlds: a classic pepperoni pizza center with gooey, stuffed “calzone corners.”
- That signature garlic-white-sauce vibe: creamy, savory, and perfect with ricotta and mozzarella.
- Weeknight-friendly: the sauces come together fast, and the shaping is simpler than it looks.
- Fun to serve: everyone gets a slice with a cheesy pocket attached.
Grocery List
- Produce: garlic (2 cloves)
- Dairy: unsalted butter, whole milk, heavy cream, low-moisture mozzarella (shredded), whole-milk ricotta, Parmesan (grated)
- Pantry: bread flour (or all-purpose), instant yeast, sugar, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, garlic powder
- Deli/Meat: sliced pepperoni
Full Ingredients
Pizza Dough (makes 1 large calzony-style pizza)
- Warm water (105–110°F): 1 1/2 cups (360 g)
- Instant yeast: 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g)
- Granulated sugar: 1 tablespoon (12 g)
- Olive oil: 1 tablespoon (15 g)
- Bread flour (or all-purpose flour): 3 3/4 cups (470 g), plus more for dusting
- Kosher salt: 1 1/2 teaspoons
Garlic White Sauce (for the calzone corners)
- Unsalted butter: 2 tablespoons (28 g)
- All-purpose flour: 2 tablespoons (16 g)
- Garlic, finely minced: 2 cloves
- Whole milk: 1 cup (240 g)
- Heavy cream: 1/4 cup (60 g)
- Parmesan, finely grated: 1/3 cup (30 g)
- Kosher salt: 1/4 teaspoon
- Black pepper: 1/8 teaspoon
Quick Pizza Sauce (for the center)
- Crushed tomatoes: 3/4 cup (180 g)
- Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon (16 g)
- Olive oil: 1 teaspoon
- Dried oregano: 1 teaspoon
- Garlic powder: 1/2 teaspoon
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 teaspoon
- Kosher salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Cheese Filling + Toppings
- Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (divided): 2 1/2 cups (10 oz / 285 g)
- Whole-milk ricotta: 3/4 cup (180 g)
- Pepperoni slices: 4 oz (113 g) (about 55–65 slices)
Buttery Brush + Parmesan Finish
- Unsalted butter, melted: 2 tablespoons (28 g)
- Garlic powder: 1/4 teaspoon
- Parmesan, finely grated: 2 tablespoons (10 g)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix and knead the dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water (105–110°F), instant yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes (it should look slightly foamy).
Add the olive oil, then stir in the flour and kosher salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand on a lightly floured counter for 8 minutes (or in a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium-low for 6 minutes) until smooth and elastic.
Step 2: Let the dough rise and preheat the oven
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature until puffy and roughly doubled, 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a rimmed half-sheet pan (13 x 18 inches) on the middle oven rack and preheat the oven to 475°F for at least 30 minutes. (Preheating the pan helps crisp the bottom like a chain-pizza bake.)
Step 3: Make the garlic white sauce for the calzone corners
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant (don’t let it brown).
Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Simmer, whisking often, until the sauce thickens to a spoon-coating consistency, 3–5 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes (it thickens a little more as it cools, which helps keep the pockets from leaking).
Step 4: Stir together the quick pizza sauce
In a bowl, stir the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, sugar, and salt. Set aside. This is a bright, simple sauce that bakes up nicely in the center.
Step 5: Shape the hybrid “pizza + calzone corners”
Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit your half-sheet pan. Lightly flour the parchment.
Turn the risen dough out onto the parchment and press it into a rough square. Roll/stretch into a 14-inch square (it’s fine if it becomes a slightly rounded square).
Visually mark a 10-inch square in the center as your “pizza zone,” leaving broad corner areas for stuffing. If the dough snaps back, let it rest 5 minutes, then continue stretching.
Step 6: Fill, fold, and seal the calzone corners
In each of the four corners, spoon on 1 1/2 tablespoons of the garlic white sauce (total 6 tablespoons). Top each corner with:
- About 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
- About 3 tablespoons ricotta
Fold each corner up and inward over the filling to create a triangular pocket. Press firmly to seal. If the dough feels dry, dab the edge lightly with water, then pinch and crimp again.
Optional but helpful: cut a small 1/2-inch vent slit on top of each pocket so steam can escape.
Step 7: Top the center, bake, and finish with buttery Parmesan
Spread the pizza sauce in the center “pizza zone,” leaving a 1/2-inch border before the calzone pockets. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly over the sauced center (you should have about 1 1/2 cups left, depending on how generously you filled the corners).
Arrange the pepperoni over the cheese in the center.
Carefully remove the preheated sheet pan from the oven. Slide the parchment with the assembled calzony onto the hot pan. Bake at 475°F until the center is bubbling and the pockets are deeply golden, 14–16 minutes.
While it bakes, stir together the melted butter and garlic powder.
When the calzony comes out, immediately brush the calzone pockets (and the outer crust edge) with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice so each serving gets pizza center plus a stuffed corner.
Pro Tips
- Keep the white sauce thick: a looser sauce is more likely to leak. Simmer until it coats a spoon, then let it cool 5 minutes before stuffing.
- Seal like you mean it: press, pinch, and crimp the pocket seams. If any cheese peeks out, tuck it back in before baking.
- Preheat the pan: sliding parchment onto a hot sheet pan helps the bottom crisp and mimics a pizza-oven bake.
- Don’t overload the corners: too much filling makes folding hard and increases blowouts. Stick to the measured amounts for the cleanest result.
- Rest before slicing: 5 minutes keeps the cheese from sliding out and helps the pockets set.
Variations
- Spicy calzony: add 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the white sauce and use spicy pepperoni.
- Extra-cheesy “three-cheese” corners: add 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded provolone to the corner filling (reduce mozzarella by the same amount).
- Italian sausage center: swap half the pepperoni for 4 oz cooked, crumbled Italian sausage (fully cooked and drained before topping).
Storage & Make-Ahead
Let leftovers cool completely, then wrap slices tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat on a sheet pan at 375°F for 10–12 minutes (best texture), or in an air fryer at 350°F for 4–6 minutes. For make-ahead, you can prepare the white sauce and pizza sauce up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate in sealed containers. Warm the white sauce gently before using so it spreads easily.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate, based on 4 servings: 780 calories, 34 g protein, 75 g carbohydrates, 38 g fat, 1,650 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 8 g sugar.
