What is a Calzone and how can you make one?

A calzone is a type of food originating from Naples in Italy. Nowadays, it can be found not only throughout Italy but also in many other countries, where it features on the menus of numerous takeaway pizza businesses.

In essence, a calzone is a pizza that has been rolled up and has a filling stuffed with various ingredients such as different types of meat, vegetables and cheeses. It is a wholesome, savoury meal that can be eaten either in an Italian restaurant, whilst you are taking a few minutes break during your working day or even “on the move” between daily jobs.

It is not uncommon to see someone enjoying a calzone either sat on a park bench or stood waiting for a bus. Some people even pack them in their lunch box as a tasty alternative to a conventional sandwich. They can be eaten hot or cold.

A calzone can easily be made by the most inexperienced of cooks. Below you will find a description of the process to follow:
Start with pizza dough that is usually made with a few drops of olive oil, a pinch of salt, flour, water and yeast.
The yeast is first proofed for a time in warm water prior to the numerous other ingredients being placed into the bowl.It is then stirred until everything is mixed in well and the dough becomes sticky.
You should then place the dough on a board that you have sprinkled with flour and knead the dough for a few minutes before then putting the dough in a warm area and covering it with a damp cloth towel to help the dough rise. Once the dough has risen to about twice its original size it is pummelled and then permitted to rise yet again. Once that has happened you can make the dough into the shape you require to create a calzone.

Next is the filling. You may have already chosen ingredients such as ham, beef, tomato, sweet corn or whatever takes your fancy – you really can be creative and wow your tastebuds. You can also add a sauce to the ingredients before cooking. If you are vegetarian you can use suitable ingredients such as onions, sweet corn, mushrooms, pineapple, peppers and other vegetables.

The filling is placed on a half of the round dough that is then carefully folded over and then the edges are crimped to seal in the ingredients. The size of your calzone can vary depending upon how many people you are catering for.

As far as cooking goes you can either bake it in an oven or, if it is a small size, you could even deep-fry it.

Enjoy.