Make Italian-style gluten-free calzones with a simple, no-fuss recipe even a beginner can pull off! The calzone dough comes together in minutes using one bowl, is easy to pat out and shape, and bakes into a soft, fluffy texture with chewy edges. I will teach you, step-by-step, how to make calzones with gluten-free flour and other simple ingredients, yielding results so good, you won’t believe they are actually GF!
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Easy Gluten-Free Calzone Recipe
Through many years developing and testing loads of homemade gluten-free breads, I’ve perfected a method where working with gluten-free calzone dough is actually simpler and more straight-forward than traditional yeast recipes. When creating homemade doughy soft calzones I utilized some of my favorite baking hacks.
To create a soft, tender, and fluffy GF crust, I supplemented the GF flour with ingredients that have proven to be very successful in highly-reviewed recipes, such as soft gluten-free flatbread and easy gluten-free hamburger buns – psyllium husk powder and potato starch.
The psyllium helps absorb moisture, making the dough supple, elastic, and easy to shape. Swapping out a small amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour with potato starch gives a nice, squishy texture, instead of dry and crumbly.
Furthermore, making calzone dough with gluten-free flour is actually easier to work with than traditional recipes. Similar to how easy homemade gluten-free pizza crust is shaped, the dough does not require any rolling. Simply pat into a circle with slightly greased hands, add fillings to one side, fold over and bake to ooey, gooey pizza pocket perfection.
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Ingredient Tid Bits
- Gluten-free flour – Use a quality good gluten free flour for best results. Cup4Cup gluten-free flour is what I tested the recipe with and use for all my baking. It has the softest texture with a nice neutral taste.
- Potato Starch (not flour) – Secret ingredient to making GF dough soft and fluffy. Use for best results, but tapioca starch may be substituted.
- Psyllium Husk Powder – Use the linked brand to keep the calzones a nice white color. Darker psylliums will turn baked goods brown or purplish.
- Toppings – There are many possibilities and I have some tips for how to fill the calzone to keep it sealed during baking. Refer to the calzone fillings section for bonus suggestions.
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Easy peasy dough
I recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe because it uses a lot of flour and the dough gets pretty stiff. In a large bowl, using a paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients.
Add in the warm water, egg, and oil. Mix to combine then and beat for 4-5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl once or twice. This is the equivalent of “kneading” the dough.
Time to shape
Before you divide out the dough you will need two baking sheets lined with pieces of parchment paper. One sheet grease with a little olive oil. This will be your work surface to shape the calzones.
Scrape the dough onto the greased parchment. Use greased hands to shape the dough into a smooth ball then cut into 4 even sections. Set 3 sections to the side and flatten one of the sections into a circle.
Fill and crimp
On one half of the circle sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese, toppings, and seasonings, like basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning. I don’t add pizza sauce to the inside of calzones, because it has a tendency to seep out.
Brush, rise, and bake
I like a nice sheen on the outside, similar to pizzeria-style calzones. So I whisk together an egg with a little water and brush over the top and edges. Then it just needs a brief rise while the oven preheats, about 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes. Enjoy with pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.
Pro Calzone Fillings and Tips
For some legit-good looking calzones I recommend following some easy tips. Of course, even if your GF calzone does not look like perfection, it still all tastes just as good!
Use freshly grated cheese for best melting. Two blocks of mozzarella is the perfect amount for this recipe. Fill each calzone with one cup, which may appear like a lot before baking. However, using less than this negatively affects the bread to cheese ratio.
While you could add the pizza sauce inside the calzone (under the cheese), I find the extra moisture causes the seams to come apart and the filling seeps out slightly. Of course, this is just a matter of what it looks like, and is an optional suggestion.
I have not tried the recipe with dairy-free cheeses, but I don’t see why that would be an issue if you are looking for a non-dairy recipe.
As far as calzone fillings, of course anything you enjoy as a pizza topping works. If using spinach, just make sure as much water as possible is squeezed out. Ricotta cheese is also nice. Spread a thin layer on one side before topping with cheese.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Easy Gluten-Free Calzones (Soft, Tender Texture)
Ingredients
- 3 cups (438 g) gluten free all purpose flour, Cup4Cup GF flour highly recommended
- ½ cup (88 g) potato starch, (not potato flour)
- 2 tablespoons (26 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (9 g) packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid rise yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoons (17 g) psyllium husk powder, (What is psyllium husk?)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (360 g) warm water (110°F)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) olive oil
- (2) 8 ounce blocks mozzarella cheese
- Italian seasoning
- optional toppings: pepperoni slices, cooked Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives
- egg wash: 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- marinara or pizza sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, combine the GF flour, potato starch, sugar, psyllium, yeast, baking powder and salt on low speed.3 cups gluten free all purpose flour, ½ cup potato starch, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid rise yeast, 1 ½ tablespoons psyllium husk powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the warm water, egg, and oil. Combine on low speed until blended. Increase to medium low speed and beat for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl once or twice. The dough will be very stiff.1 ½ cups warm water (110°F), 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- You will need two baking sheets lined with pieces of parchment paper. On one sheet grease the parchment with a little olive oil. This will be your work surface to shape the calzones. Set the other sheet aside.
- Scrape the dough onto the greased parchment. Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray (or rub with a little olive oil) and shape the dough into a smooth ball. Use a sharp knife to divide the ball into 4 even sections. Move 3 sections to the side of the greased baking sheet and use the open side to shape the first calzone.
- Take one portion and flatten into a thick, round disc. Use greased hands to press into a 8-9” circle. Transfer the circle to the other ungreased baking sheet before adding the cheese and toppings.
- On one half of the circle sprinkle on 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, leaving the the edge free from cheese so the dough can seal together. (TIP: I don't add pizza sauce to the inside of calzones, because it has a tendency to seep out). Sprinkle on Italian seasoning and add desired pizza toppings on top of the cheese.
- Fold the other half over the cheese. To seal, first press the seams together. Next roll the seam up towards the calzone and finally flute it, similar to a pie edge, using your forefinger and thumb. (See recipe post for step-by-step images.)
- Repeat process with 3 remaining dough sections. You will have 2 calzones per baking sheet, so the remaining 2 dough sections bake on the greased sheet.
- Brush the egg wash over the top and edges of the calzones. Reserve the extra egg wash for later use. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top and let rise for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats to 375ºF.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 30 minutes. Halfway through baking remove the baking sheets, brush with the remaining egg wash and rotate the baking sheets. Discard any extra egg wash. Finish baking and enjoy with pizza sauce for dipping.
Notes
Storing and Reheating
For leftovers, let the calzone completely cool and then wrap securely in foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days. To reheat, place the foil-wrapped calzone in a 350ºF oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until warm throughout. For faster reheating, wrap the calzone in a damp paper towel and microwave for at 50% power until hot. Be careful to not overheat or your crust will become chewy. Sometimes I use a combination of both methods for quicker reheating. Partially warm the calzone in the microwave. Wrap in foil and then finish warming in the oven.Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
When testing the recipe I experimented with freezing unbaked calzones and then baking from frozen. I baked from frozen for 40 minutes. The results weren’t as great as baking fresh dough. Next time I would let the shaped calzone thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Set out the calzone to come to room temperature, and bake. Another make-ahead option, though, is to bake the calzones, cool completely, and then wrap securely before freezing. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Set out for an hour to come to room temperature and then reheat using a method described below. Recipe adapted from Gluten-Free Pizza RollsThis post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Hi! Why potato starch, and can I substitute corn starch instead? Thanks!
Hi Amber,
I prefer potato starch over cornstarch for breads because it absorbs moisture while still keeping the crumb light. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t already contain cornstarch (at least if it’s not listed in the first two ingredients), you can try swapping out 1/4 cup cornstarch and up to 1/4 cup additional GF flour.
Best,
Melissa
! I made these tonight. I made them last night with half the dough. Then tonight I made them again with the other half of the dough after it fermented in the fridge overnight. The dough tasted better the second night, almost like wheat – so good! I will try leaving it in the fridge for 2 nights the next time I make it, like sourdough. I also halved the recipe but made 4 calzones as the calories & nutrition were more than I wanted. I am so happy with this recipe, although it was a very moist & difficult work with as it ripped as I flipped the cover half over the filling. But it was forgiving enough to let me cover the holes. Mine was not as pretty as the picture, but it didn’t leak & was a gorgeous golden. I let it rise on the counter for the full 30 minutes & baked it an extra five minutes & it was perfect.
Thanks for this great recipe. I will make again.I
Thank you for leaving such a detailed comment, Kathryn! I appreciate it and am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe.
Best,
Melissa
These were easy to make, and turned out really well. My family liked them, so I’ll definitely be making them again!
I’m trying to avoid sugar, so am wondering if it would work to use honey instead of the granulated sugar? If so, should I add a little more of the flour or slightly reduce the water to compensate for the extra moisture?
Thank you for all of the care and research you put into your recipe creations! I’m finally finding baked goods, especially, that are easy to make, and taste like the gluten-filled versions I made years ago.
Hello,
Great question and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. For a recipe like this you have a couple options. You can replace it with honey since it’s a smaller amount. The other option would be cut back the sugar to 1 teaspoon, remove 2 tbsp GF flour and replace it with milk powder. The sugar adds moisture to the recipe, so you’ll want to replicate that with something else.
Best,
Melissa
I love this recipe. I’ve never worked with an easier dough EVER EVER EVER in my 15 years of having Celiac. Of course back then i had to settle for cardboard everything. Could this be used as a pizza crust?
Oh, yay, Sandra! So happy to hear! Yes, it could, but it would be a softer texture. I use this dough for my gluten-free pepperoni rolls recipe. For a crust, I highly recommend giving this GF pizza crust recipe a try. I think you will be very happy!
Best,
Melissa
I see Cup4Cup has Xanthan gum in the blend. I will be using a different gf flour blend that does not contain Xanthan gum, so how much should I add for this recfipe? Thanks!!
Hi Ella,
I would add 1 tsp of xanthan gum to the recipe. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa