A calzoni is an Italian meal that is something like a cross between a pizza and a samosa. It is a baked bread pocket filled with some combination of meat, vegetables and cheese.

Preparation

To make calzonis, first aquire some dough. This can be more difficult than it sounds, supermarkets do not often sell the stuff, and it is a pain in the ass to make by hand. A bread maker will usually have a dough setting, if one is available.

The dough should be rolled thin about (1/4 inch thick), and a small-plate-sized section should be cut for each person eating. While preparing the dough, preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F).

Adding Filling

The meat, veggies, cheeses and sauces should be placed on top of the rolled dough, keeping this filling in the middle. Once the filling is added, fold one half of the dough over and squeeze the edges together - the intention being to form a pocket for the ingredients in the center of the dough mass.

It helps to brush the top of the calzoni with olive oil - this makes it turn out crispier.

Also, prior to placing the calzoni in the oven, cut several slits in the dough on the top to prevent the steam from making the things explode. After cutting, throw them in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Suggested Ingredients

Excellent filling combinations include:

There are two kinds of calzone, and they both come from Southern Italy. calzone in Italian is a funny word, because calzoni means "trousers", so a calzone would be one trouser leg. Anyway, back to the food:
  1. the fried calzone is a disc of dough that is filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, folded, and deep fried. I have had these in Puglia. They should be eaten hot.
  2. the baked calzone is basically a large pizza (in the Italian concept of pizza), folded in two and baked in a pizza oven.
    Now quite frequent in pizzerias all over Italy.

Actually, a calzone is always baked. When it's fried, it's called a panzerotto. The main difference, especially when you get them at fast-food places, is that the panzerotti tend to have napalm-hot oil/sauce dripping out of them by the time you're halfway finished them. Besides, getting the calzone is healthier.

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