A calzone (, , ; "stocking" or "trouser") is an Italian oven-baked folded

pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...

, often described as a

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, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and is stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and

Parmesan Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months. It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' is ...

or pecorino cheese, as well as an

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.Gosetti (1967), p.785 Different regional variations in or on a calzone can often include other ingredients that are normally associated with pizza toppings. The term usually applies to an oven-baked turnover rather than a fried pastry (i.e. panzerotti), though ''calzoni'' and ''panzerotti'' are often mistaken for each other. A calzone is similar to a

stromboli Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sici ...

, an Italian-American pizza turnover, and the two are sometimes confused. Unlike strombolis, which are generally rolled or folded into a cylindrical or rectangular shape, calzones are always folded into a crescent shape, and typically do not contain tomato sauce inside.

Regional variations

In Italy

Sandwich-sized calzones are often sold at Italian lunch counters or by street vendors, because they are easy to eat while standing or walking. Fried versions of the calzone are typically filled with tomato and mozzarella: these are made in

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and are called '' panzerotti''. In

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, a variety of calzone is known as '' pastizz'', which originated between the 18th and 19th century. Pork (or, more rarely, goat meat), eggs and cheese are main ingredients for the filling. The Sicilian ''cuddiruni'' or ''cudduruni'' pizza is distantly related to the calzone. This is a dish stuffed with onions (or sometimes other vegetables, such as potatoes or broccoli), anchovies, olives, cheese and

mortadella Mortadella () is a large Italian cuisine, Italian sausage or luncheon meat (''salumi, salume'' ) made of finely hashed or ground heat-cured pork, which incorporates at least 15% small cubes of pork fat (principally the hard fat from the neck o ...

; the rolled pizza dough is folded in two over the stuffing and the edges are sealed before the dish is fried.

In the United States

In the United States, calzones are typically made from pizza dough and stuffed with meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Traditional calzone dough, consisting of flour, yeast, olive oil, water, and salt, is kneaded and rolled into medium-sized disks. Each is then filled with cheeses such as ricotta, mozzarella,

, provolone, and other traditional vegetables or meats. The dough is then folded in half over the filling and sealed with an egg mixture in a half-moon shape, or is sometimes shaped into a ball by pinching and sealing all the edges at the top. It is then either baked or fried. In some areas, just before serving, they are topped with marinara or other traditional sauce, or with a mixture of garlic, olive oil, and parsley.

Cultural notes

In Italy, as of the 1960s, calzones were popularly believed to be the most efficient type of pizza for home delivery.

References

Bibliography