The ultimate vegan calzone stuffed with veggies, spinach and plant-based cheese, made with authentic pizza dough and served with a homemade tomato sauce for dipping.
Make sure to prepare the pizza dough in advance according to directions in the recipe. You will only use half of it ( 4 dough balls) and you can freeze the rest for later. (If freezing it you can do this right after kneading it, no need to proof it first).
Rinse and slice the peppers into thin slices, discard the core and the seeds. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and toss to coat.
Heat up a cast iron skillet on medium low flame and quickly saute the pepper and scallions together until nice little char marks start to form, a few minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and mix with the sliced spinach. Set aside until ready to use.
(If using any store bought vegan meatballs, sausages or chicken make sure to cook it first before adding it to the calzone)
Sprinkle some flour on a board board or kitchen counter and place the pizza dough on top. Sprinkle more flour on top and using the palm of your hand gently press each dough ball down to form a circle. Sprinkle more flour if needed so the dough doesn’t stick. (do not knead the dough at this point)
Use a fork to gently poke the dough in a few spots so it won’t puff up while cooking.
Spoon some of the tomato sauce over half of the dough, sprinkle with some of the vegan cheese and some of the pepper scallion mixture or your favorite fillings. Sprinkle with more cheese and gently fold over the dough to create a pocket.
Gently pull the bottom of the dough to fold over the top as in creating a nice seal of the pocket all around.
Preheat a large cast iron griddle or grill pan on medium heat and gently transfer the calzone to the hot grill. ( you should be able to slide them right off of the board you were working on or using a large spatula).
Cook for a few minutes on each side until nice grill marks form. Use a spatula to flip the calzone and repeat the above process until all calzone pockets are done. Allow them to cool off for a few minutes for the cheese to set before cutting into them.
Oven Method:
Preheat your oven with a pizza stone inside to the highest temperature for a good 45 minutes and up to 1 hour. You want it blasting hot.
Place the calzone on a lightly floured pizza peel or cardboard box and carefully slide it on top of the pizza stone. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown to your liking. Transfer to a wooden board and allow the calzone to cool for 5 minutes or so for the cheese and all ingredients to set. Serve warm with the remaining tomato sauce on the side.