Vegan Calzone

This vegan Calzone offers all the deliciousness of a Marinara pizza in every bite.

The beauty of a Calzone lies in the fact that you can stuff it with practically anything you want. Just like you can layer a pizza with your favourite toppings, you can get creative with the filling in your Calzone too. After all, a Calzone was created in Naples as a way for people to eat a pizza on the go.

Since a Calzone is basically a pizza-in-a-pocket, I have stuck to the basic version of a Marinara pizza in order to make this Calzone. A Marinara pizza traditionally has a tomato sauce as its base, and oregano, garlic and olive oil as its toppings, with a sprinkling of salt. (Fun fact: If you replace the oregano with fresh basil, it is a Margerita pizza.) But of course, what is pizza nowadays without cheese? I’ve added some vegan cheese and sliced onions for extra flavour to the traditional ingredients of a Marinara to make this Calzone. Take a bite and I promise it will transport you to your favourite place.

Enjoy!

(This recipe is part of a series in which we explore how cultures across the world have stuffed dishes that are semicircle in shape. Check out the complete series here.)

Calzone recipe (vegan)
Makes four

Ingredients:
300 gms all-purpose flour (maida) 
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup water
Flour for dusting

1 cup tomato-based pizza sauce 
1 onion, sliced
6-10 cloves of garlic, chopped
50 gms vegan cheese (made with cashews)
2 tbsps oregano powder
1 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the water to between 40 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius or 105 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is either too hot or too cold, the yeast won’t get activated. Once the water is ready, pour it in a bowl and mix in the sugar and the yeast. Set it aside and let it proof for at least 15 minutes. You’ll know it has worked when you see a layer of foam form in the bowl. 

Mix in the flour and knead into a dough. Cover with a plate and set it aside for around 2 hours. The dough has to rise and double in size and the time it takes to do that will depend on the temperature in your kitchen. 

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Sauté the chopped onions and chopped garlic in olive oil. 

Once the dough is ready, knead it well on a flat surface. Dust the surface with more flour if you find it difficult to work with the dough initially. It will be more workable as you continue to knead it. You can also coat your palms in olive oil; it will make it easier to knead the dough without it sticking to your fingers. Once you have a pliant dough, divide it into four equal parts. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll each part into a ball. Take one ball and flatten it out into a circle either by patting it with your fingers or by using a rolling pin. Once it is a proper circle of around 6″ diameter, you can begin assembling your Calzone. 

Spread some tomato sauce on its lower half in a semicircle, but leave an inch or so from the edges. Then spread your vegan cheese on the sauce. Add the fried onions and garlic. Sprinkle oregano powder and salt. 

Once you have assembled the filling in the lower half of the circular dough, fold in the upper half to cover the filling. Press the edges together and twist them to ensure they are sealed. If they are not sealed properly, then the Calzones will open up during the baking process in the oven. 

Also, don’t forget to poke holes on the top surface of the Calzone using a fork or a toothpick. When the Calzone is being baked, the filling will release steam and if there are no holes, then your Calzone will open up in the oven and become a mess.

Transfer your sealed Calzones to a baking tray. Brush the top surface with olive oil. This will give it a nice golden brown colour once it is baked.

Bake your Calzone for 10-15 minutes. 

Serve warm or cool, it tastes delicious either way! 

Pro Tip: If you want to make your own pizza sauce without much effort, then simply simply fry a few chopped tomatoes with a few cloves of garlic, and puree them both together. Add salt and mix. Your sauce is ready.