Easy Gluten-Free Calzones (Soft, Tender Texture)

Easy Gluten-free Calzone recipe

Through many years of developing and testing gluten-free baking recipes, I’ve perfected a method where working with gluten-free dough is actually simpler and more straightforward than traditional yeast recipes. When creating these homemade gluten-free calzones I utilized some of my favorite baking hacks.

To create a soft, tender, and fluffy gluten-free calzone 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, this gluten-free calzone dough is actually easier to work with than traditional pizza dough. Similar to how easily homemade gluten-free pizza crust is shaped, the dough does not require any rolling. Simply pat into a circle with lightly greased hands, add fillings to one side, fold over,, and bake to ooey, gooey pizza pocket perfection.

Read on to discover more expert tips for making from-scratch gluten-free calzones, such as how to seal the edges properly, the best gluten-free toppings and ideas, make-ahead tips, and more uses for the dough.

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Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-free flour – Use 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. If using an alternative brand I recommend using the included weight measurements rather than measuring by cups.
• Potato Starch (not flour) – Secret ingredient to make gluten-free dough soft and fluffy. Instead of relying on additional flour to structure the dough, I substituted another gluten-free starch. Use for best results, but tapioca starch may be substituted.
• Psyllium Husk Powder – Helps maintain moisture and enhances a soft texture.
• Baking powder – I like to couple baking powder with yeast to assist the rise and make a light, airy texture, which is harder to achieve in gluten-free dough.
• Instant (Rapid Rise) Yeast – I would suggest buying this in bulk and storing it in your refrigerator. It doesn’t require mixing with warm liquids to proof and can be mixed right into dry ingredients. To substitute active dry yeast add it to the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding to the dry ingredients.
• Oil – Helps coat the GF starches to eliminate a gritty, dry texture.
• Toppings – There are many possibilities and I have some tips for how to fill the calzone to keep it sealed during baking.

how to make Gluten-free calzones

(Below are step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. 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 the GF flour, potato starch, sugar, psyllium, yeast, baking powder, and salt on low speed.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 baking sheet and use the open side to shape the first calzone.
5. Take one portion and flatten it into a thick, round disc. Use greased hands to press into an 8-9” circle. Transfer the circle to the ungreased baking sheet before adding the cheese and toppings.
6. On one half of the circle sprinkle on 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese. (I don’t add pizza sauce to the inside of calzones, because it has a tendency to seep out). If desired, sprinkle on seasonings, such as oregano, basil, or Italian seasoning. Add desired pizza toppings on top of the cheese.
7. 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.
8. Repeat the process with the 3 remaining sections. You will have 2 calzones per baking sheet, so the remaining 2 dough sections bake on the greased sheet.
9. Whisk together the egg wash and brush over the top and edges. 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.
10. 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. Finish baking and enjoy with pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.

Calzone Fillings and tips

For beautiful pizzeria-style 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 the 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 gluten-free calzone toppings, here are some of our favorites!

• Pepperoni
• Mushrooms (cook first or use canned mushrooms)
• Spinach – For frozen, thaw and squeeze out excess moisture, or cook and squeeze moisture before adding.
• Italian sausage
• Peppers
• Chopped artichokes
• Black olives
• Ricotta cheese – Spread a thin layer before adding the cheese