Calzone Vs. Stromboli Vs. Panzerotti

Calzone, stromboli, and panzerotti are all variations of pizza, made from golden pizza dough stuffed with the melting mozzarella cheese and rich ham and salami adored by pizza lovers. But how do you distinguish between the three pizza cousins? What’s the difference between calzone, stromboli, and panzerotti?

Calzone, stromboli, and panzerotti are pizza derivatives. Calzone and panzerotti are half-moon pizza turnovers, while stromboli is a long, rolled pizza. They all include traditional pizza ingredients like dough, tomato sauce, and cheese but differ in origin, cooking methods, shape, and size.

With pizza’s massive international popularity, you’ve probably come across regular pizza. And you’ve likely seen calzone on a restaurant menu. Has anyone tried a Hot Pocket? Or a pizza pinwheel? Well, then you already know what calzone, stromboli, and panzerotti are, like a true pizzaioli. Read on to learn about these three types of pizza and why we love them.

The Differences Between Calzone, Stromboli, And Panzerotti

Calzone, stromboli, and panzerotti are all kinds of pizza with the same ingredients: pizza dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and often options like ham, salami, mushrooms, and artichokes.

These three tasty dishes are different from pizza because they are not served flat and open, with the toppings laid out on the dough. Instead, these are stuffed pizzas, pastry delights that are sealed to become portable pizza “pies” or pockets.

Let’s look at the main differences between these three favorites.

	Calzone	Stromboli	Panzerotti
Origins	Naples, Italy	Philadelphia, United States	Apulia, Italy
Ingredients	Pizza dough, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, toppings, e.g., ham, salami	Pizza dough, pizza sauce, mozzarella, toppings, e.g., ham, salami	Pizza dough, pizza sauce, mozzarella, toppings, e.g., chocolate cream
Cooking method	Baked or fried	Baked	Fried
Sauce	On the side	On the side	Inside
Shape	Half-circle	Cigar-shaped	Half-circle
Size	Medium pizza	Large pizza	Sandwich
Serving size	One serving	Multiple servings	Snack

What Is A Calzone?

A calzone is essentially an inverted pizza, baked with the dough on the outside and the toppings or filling inside.

What Is the Origin Of Calzones?

These three pizza types all originate in Italy, the home of the pizza. Calzones come from Naples, where authentic pizza was first made.

Calzones were developed as a portable meal, the original takeaway, that you could eat as you walked along the street. It was intended for workers to eat in their lunch hour – they wouldn’t have time to go home and have a sit-down pizza meal.

The word calzone means “stocking” or “trouser leg,” suggesting the shape or that it’s stuffed. Sometimes, a calzone is called a stuffed pizza or pizza ripieno, especially in Naples.

Today, you’ll find calzones on restaurant menus across the world. They’re still served in Italy, where their ingredients and cooking techniques differ slightly from region to region.

How Do You Make Calzone?

You can’t make calzone by preparing a pizza, folding it in half and baking it. Although the method of making calzone is very similar to making pizza, there are many significant differences.

The Dough

The dough for calzone and pizza is the same, although some Italian recipes use a slightly different dough that makes for a more bready crust.

To make a calzone, you’ll stretch and roll out the dough into a circle in the same way as you would for a medium-sized pizza.

For a handy pizza dough recipe, check out how to make the base of Pizza Cubano.

The Filling

One of the crucial differences between calzone and pizza is the filling.

First, unlike a pizza, the filling does not cover the base. Instead, you place the filling on one half of the dough so that you can fold the other half over as a lid.

Second, in the traditional Italian calzone, there is no tomato sauce. Pizza sauce would make the dough too moist as it bakes and leak out when you bite into it. Instead, a calzone comes with a tomato or marina sauce on the side.

The fillings for a calzone are generally simple and often feature ricotta, a combination of ricotta and spinach, for example, or prosciutto and cheese.

Typical fillings for a calzone are:

a blend of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan
cured meat: prosciutto, pepperoni, salami, bresaola, Italian sausages
vegetables: peppers, onions, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach
seasonings: salt, black pepper, parsley, basil.

Sealing

To create the stuffed effect, you fold your calzone like a taco: fold it in half, and seal it by crimping the edges of the dough together. This fold will create a half-moon shape.

Use an egg wash to seal the calzone’s edges and brush the top of the calzone so that it browns in the oven. It’s helpful to make a couple of slits in the dough top like you would a pie to allow the steam to escape.

Some regional Italian recipes spread the dough with the tomato sauce and bake it in the oven to remain moist.

Baking

Calzone is baked in a pizza oven or regular oven for 30 to 40 minutes, like a pizza. A couple of regional variations suggest you should fry your calzone, but that’s panzerotti territory – and we’ll come to that.

What Is Stromboli?

Homemade Italian Stromboli with Pepperoni Cheese and Peppers

If you haven’t ever seen or eaten stromboli, imagine a pizza in the shape of a cinnamon roll: savory dough, stuffed with your most wanted pizza toppings, then rolled up and sliced into wheels of deliciousness, which you dip into tomato sauce.

What Is the Origin Of Stromboli?

Italian stromboli, delicious pizza roll filled with sausage and ham

Stromboli, like pepperoni, is a creation of the Italian-American community in the United States and dates to the 1950s. You won’t find stromboli in Italy.

The creation of stromboli was the brainchild of Nazzareno Romano, owner of Romano’s Pizzas in Philadelphia. He created this pizza pinwheel as an experimental addition to his menu. Whether the pizza roll’s name comes from the volcanic island of stromboli or the movie directed by Roberto Rossellini, stromboli has spread across the States from Philadelphia. It has become synonymous with appetizers and snack food.