What is stromboli?
Stromboli’s origins can be traced back to Philadelphia, making it a decidedly Italian-American creation. A thin rectangle of pizza dough is topped with cheese (often mozzarella), cured meats and/or vegetables, and sometimes a little tomato sauce. The dough is folded or wrapped around the filling, creating a long stromboli that is cut into spiral slices for serving. Tomato sauce can be served alongside for dipping but is not required.
What is a calzone?
Originally from Naples, Italy, calzones are a handheld take on pizza. Pizza dough is formed into a flat circle and topped with fillings like meat, vegetables, and cheese. Ricotta cheese is the most common and is sometimes paired with mozzarella or other cheeses. The dough is folded in half over the filling, creating a half moon shape. Calzones tend to be individually sized and are frequently served with marinara for dipping.
Stromboli vs Calzone: What are the similarities?
Both stromboli and calzones take their inspiration from pizza, featuring similar fillings and flavors like Italian cheeses and cured meats. They both involve wrapping dough around the fillings, and they are cooked and served in a similar way. But a few key differences will help you tell the two apart: their shape, size, and fillings.
Stromboli vs Calzone: What are the differences?
One of the most obvious ways to differentiate stromboli and calzones is their shape and serving size. There are also a few slight differences in the traditional fillings.
The Dough Shape and Size
Oftentimes, you can tell a stromboli from a calzone simply by their appearance. To shape a stromboli, the pizza dough is rolled out into a large rectangle. Toppings are added and the dough is either folded over from each side like a letter or rolled around the filling. A stromboli is larger and longer than a calzone and is baked as one piece and then cut into slices for serving a crowd. Calzones also start with pizza dough, but instead of forming a large rectangle, a small or medium ball is rolled or stretched out into a round. Fillings are added to one side and the dough is folded over, creating a half moon shape.
The Sealing Technique
A stromboli is shaped by folding the dough over onto itself, creating a seal all on its own. An egg wash can be used to help create a more secure closure, although it isn’t usually necessary. The far ends are often left open. A calzone is sealed along the folded edge, often using an egg wash to help contain the hot filling. The edge can be folded over and crimped for an even better seal and a few vents cut in the top let steam escape.
The Origin
One major difference between stromboli and calzones is their origins. While calzones are an Italian food that took America by storm—originating as handheld Neopolitan street food—stromboli was born in the U.S. The Italian-American dish can be traced to South Philadelphia, a neighborhood that has historically included numerous Italian delis, markets, and restaurants.
The Tomato Sauce
While both dishes have clear ties to pizza, they incorporate tomato sauce in different ways. Rather than spreading marinara directly on the pizza dough as you would with a classic pie, calzones are served with tomato sauce on the side for dipping. You’ll sometimes find a little sauce in a stromboli, but it’s often left out or served on the size for dipping like a calzone.
The Fillings
Stromboli and calzones include similar fillings of Italian meats, and vegetables. While there are more commonalities than differences, there is one traditional ingredient that sets the two apart: the cheese. Stromboli almost always contains mozzarella cheese, and will sometimes have another low-moisture cheese mixed in. Calzones, on the other hand, tend to contain ricotta cheese. You’ll often find other cheeses like mozzarella as well, but ricotta is traditional in a calzone and almost never found in a stromboli. Here is a list of some of our favorite meat and vegetable fillings. Get creative and try out some different combinations!
Meats:
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Cooked sausages
• Cooked ground beef
• Cooked shredded beef
• Prosciutto
• Pancetta
Vegetables:
• Broccoli
• Peppers–bell, jalapeno, Calabrian, etc.
• Spinach
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Artichokes
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
How It's Made
Calzones and stromboli are typically baked until the dough is cooked through and the cheese is melted. However, calzones can also be fried. Small, deep-fried calzones are called panzerotti.
The Serving Size
Another key difference between stromboli and calzones is the serving size. A stromboli will typically serve 3 to 6, with the long roll sliced into shareable slices. Calzones are usually made in smaller, single-serving sizes since they are meant to be an easy handheld lunch or dinner.
