Calzone

Calzone is a half-moon of pizza dough folded over a filling, sealed at the edge and baked until golden. It is one of the best-known baked dishes of Neapolitan pizzeria cooking.

What it really is

The dough is the same yeasted wheat dough used for Neapolitan pizza, made from wheat flour, water, salt and yeast, and often a little olive oil. A round is stretched, the filling is set on one half, and the other half is folded across it and the edge is pressed and crimped shut. The classic filling is ricotta mixed with mozzarella and sometimes Parmigiano Reggiano, with salami, ham or cured pork added in the Neapolitan version. The calzone is baked in a very hot oven, usually a wood-fired one, until the dough is blistered and browned.

A calzone is a folded, filled dough that is baked closed. A pizza is open and topped. Calzone dough is usually the same as pizza dough, but the filling is sealed inside, so the cheese does not spread over the plate. Stromboli, a rolled version of similar dough, is shaped as a log rather than a half-moon.

How it's served

• Served whole on a plate, hot from the oven, and cut open at the table so the filling can be seen and steam can escape.
• Eaten with a knife and fork as a main course, or shared between two people as a starter.
• Often accompanied by a simple tomato sauce on the side for dipping, though it is not part of the classic form.
• In Naples it is commonly eaten at the pizzeria with a glass of beer or wine.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling on the menu, for example "calzone with ricotta, mozzarella and salami", since the fillings vary widely.
• Flag the allergens: wheat in the dough, and milk from the mozzarella and ricotta.
• State whether a tomato sauce is served on the side; it is not included in the classic dish.
• Indicate if the dough is made with olive oil or another fat, and if the calzone is baked in a wood-fired oven.