Calzone

Calzone

Who said that pizza can’t also be stuffed? Tradition tells us that it can be!

The classic Neapolitan calzone, stuffed or stuffed pizza, closed pizza … they all have one feature in common: the topping is also inside.

It is said that the name “calzone” stands for “great stocking” and that it refers to a sock full of surprises inside; but let’s find out the history and characteristics of these stuffed crescents …

Origins: is the calzone from Puglia or Naples?

There is a great culinary dispute over the true origin of baked calzone: was it born in Puglia or Campania?

In Puglia they claim paternity as the ancestor of the Bari panzerotto. It is said, in fact, that it was traditional to cook it while baking bread, close some pasta and season it inside, cooking it in the oven: a mothers’ expedient to keep the children busy. Furthermore, the Apulian calzone, stuffed with spunzali and anchovies, was traditionally served to the newlyweds, the nuptials (hence the stuffing onions would take their name).

But other sources reveal that calzone was born in Naples, as an alternative recipe to pizza: pizza makers, to vary, closed the same pizza dough on itself and filled it with tomato, mozzarella and anchovies. Uses and customs of Naples and outlines described and painted is a literary work by Francesco de Bourcard, which dates back to 1853, in which our calzone is named:

“The most ordinary pizzas, called with garlic and olives, have oil as a condiment, and on top of them, in addition to the salt, oregano and minutely chopped garlic cloves are sprinkled. Others are covered with grated cheese and seasoned with lard, and then a few basil leaves are placed on top. Small fish are often added to the first ones; to the second of the thin slices of mozzarella. Sometimes we use sliced ​​ham, tomatoes, clams, etc. Sometimes folding the dough on itself forms what is called calzone. ”

(Francesco de Bourcard, Usi and customs of Naples, Vol. II, page 124)

Therefore, the territorial origin of the calzone is still doubtful, but it is certainly a fundamental part of the cuisine of both regions and, in general, of the culinary tradition of the south (we find it naturally widespread also in Sicily, Calabria and Basilicata).

The Neapolitan calzone: ‘O cazone’ mbuttunat

The Neapolitan calzone is now on the menus of almost all the pizzerias in Italy: it is a tasty and stuffed alternative to pizza. It can also be seasoned on the outside, like a margherita pizza … and on the inside with mozzarella, tomato and basil. But there are many variations: with ham, with onions, olives, cheese, or with vegetables, anchovies and the classic with ricotta. The dough is the same as the pizza, but it is seasoned inside and closed at the edges. The ideal cooking is, of course, in the wood oven.

The closed stuffed pizza or stuffed pizza

Svario, pizza and seasonal cocktails from the capital
Even closed pizza can be smooth on the outside, or topped with tomato and mozzarella. It looks more like a quiche, because it can also have a round shape. It is cooked as if it were a two-layer pizza and then the edges are sealed. The filling is according to the Chef’s description, but it should be rigorously stringy. The most classic with mozzarella or provola, tomato and the inevitable basil, or ricotta and salami, vegetables, cheeses and mortadella. A classic, alternative to margherita, is cooked ham and mozzarella, stringy and tasty… and you risk burning your tongue for how good it is!

Regional peculiarities: the “scacce siciale” and “U’ pastizz rtunnar “from Basilicata

The “scacce” are a typical dish of Ragusa, rustic and very good in their simplicity. They are present in the windows of all the small bakeries in Ragusa and Modica, but they are not always found in the rest of Sicily. They can be of two types: stuffed, which are similar to the Neapolitan oven-baked calzone, a little smaller and easier to eat even on the street; or rolled up, which are very difficult to cook and require more experience. For this version, in fact, it is necessary to prepare a very thin dough, which must be rolled out and seasoned, then folded on itself in layers, in the meantime the seasoning is added … this will create a dozen layered, soft and stringy layers. As for the filling, the traditional recipe requires mozzarella and tomato inside, with the possible addition of cooked ham. The recipe is rustic and popular, so everyone has their own way of cooking them, and they can vary from house to house. They can be enriched with potatoes, vegetables, onions, anchovies, olives … in short, so on and so forth!

“U ‘pastizz rtunnar” Lucano, the rotondellese pie, is a typical dish of the town of Rotondella, in Basilicata, where it has traditionally been prepared since the 1700s. It is stuffed with pork or lamb, which can be flavored or not. and is cut into small pieces, carefully selected and placed inside the calzone. The filling is enriched and mixed with eggs, parmesan and olive oil. It differs from the Neapolitan calzone because lard can be added to the dough, for a more compact and solid result (this makes it more of a street food than a pizzeria).

It is cooked in particular periods of the year, especially close to the Christmas holidays and Easter. It is also cooked during the feast of the Madonna di Anglona: it was the typical lunch that the people of Rotondella ate packed, when they went on pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Anglona.

In short, the calzone or large stocking fits perfectly with the boot from north to south… and never ceases to amaze us with new discoveries of regional variants that we did not know before!

a.t.