Stromboli vs. Calzone: What’s the Distinction?

Whether or not you’re making them at dwelling or putting an order at your native pizzeria, you may’ve puzzled what units calzones and strombolis aside. Although they’re each oven-baked dishes that contain a mix of pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and meat, there are some key variations between the 2. Calzones are a crescent-shaped Italian creation which might be full of fillings and sealed, whereas Italian-American strombolis are rolled up right into a log across the fillings and sliced. However that’s not all — right here’s all the things it’s essential know when evaluating calzones and strombolis. 

The origins

Earlier than we get into precisely what substances make calzones distinctive from strombolis (and vice versa), now we have to speak in regards to the birthplace of those pizza-like treats. 

Calzones originated in Naples, Italy within the 18th century. “Calzones are one of many conventional Neapolitan pizza creations,” says Mike Fadem, chef and proprietor of Ops pizzeria in Brooklyn. “Supposedly calzones had been supposed to be a cell meals that may get wrapped in paper and you may eat it whereas strolling.” 

Stromboli, however, was probably invented on the outskirts of Philadelphia within the Nineteen Fifties, almost 200 years after its relative was created. Romano’s, a pizzeria and Italian restaurant in Essington, Pennsylvania, is broadly thought to be the inventor of stromboli.

The dough

Calzones are historically made with pizza dough utilizing only a few substances — flour, yeast, water, and salt. Strombolis are normally made with pizza dough however can be made with bread dough, based on Anna Crucitt, proprietor of Mercurio’s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “With stromboli, you may add oil or some type of fats to the dough, which is helpful in the event that they’re baked in a deck oven, like the kind used for New York-style pizza,” provides Fadem.

The form

How calzones and strombolis are fashioned is what actually units these two meals other than one another. “Calzones are usually formed right into a half-moon, whereas a stromboli is an oblong log form,” says Laura Meyer, proprietor and chef at Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, California. “These days, a whole lot of strombolis are assembled like burritos, however they’re truly meant to be rolled so that you get a layered impact after they’re minimize into. Calzones, however, are stuffed like a pocket however assembled right into a crescent form,” she provides.

To make a calzone at dwelling, you’ll add your fillings to half of a circular-shaped pizza dough, then fold over, seal, and crimp the sides. To make stromboli, you’ll prime an oblong sheet of dough with the fillings, then roll up like a jelly roll earlier than sealing. Each are usually brushed with olive oil or egg wash to present them a shiny, golden-brown coloration earlier than they bake.

The fillings

The fillings for every of those baked bites are likely to look fairly related, and are topic to variation. “Calzones are normally stuffed on one aspect with ricotta, greens, a pork product corresponding to prosciutto cotto or salsiccia, mozzarella, and a bit little bit of tomato sauce,” says Crucitt. Although ricotta cheese is much less frequent in strombolis, you’ll be able to typically rely on a scrumptious mixture of marinara sauce, cured pork merchandise, mozzarella, and greens. 

One factor that’s up for debate on the subject of each strombolis and calzones: whether or not there must be sauce on the within. “I’ve seen each throughout the board. Even in Italy, you will discover sauce inside and outdoors,” says Meyer. You could even discover calzones topped with mozzarella cheese and recent basil on the skin of the crust, provides Crucitt. 

The cooking course of

As soon as calzones and strombolis are fashioned and stuffed, it’s time to bake them. Strombolis are usually baked at a decrease temperature than Neapolitan pizza or calzones, says Fadem — about 20 minutes in a 350℉ oven. “Relating to strombolis, you need to think about that the dough will develop when cooked,” provides Meyer. “If the dough shouldn’t be rolled out correctly or docked to launch a few of the air within the dough, your properly rolled and formed stromboli will burst within the oven.” In case you’re making strombolis at dwelling, prick the dough with a fork earlier than putting it within the oven to forestall a large number. 

Calzones, however,  are cooked in pizza ovens at a really excessive temperature for about 5 minutes. Of their birthplace of Naples, nevertheless, it’s simply as frequent to seek out fried calzones as it’s baked ones. “In Italy, the fried model goes by the title panzerotti. They’ve their edges pulled on when they’re positioned within the fryer in order that they maintain the crescent form however are very lengthy, versus the shorter, chubbier baked calzones,” says Meyer.

The right way to serve strombolis and calzones

Calzones are usually meant to be eaten by only one to 2 individuals, whereas strombolis are supposed to be sliced and served to a crowd. “A lot of pizzerias will serve strombolis with a aspect of marinara sauce to dip. Calzones may be served with a aspect of sauce as effectively but it surely’s not fairly as frequent,” says Crucitt.