Filled breads are portable and delicious and in the case of all but the Neapolitan calzone, easy to prepare in advance. Like flatbreads, they’re universal - I can’t think of a place where they don’t have at least one savoury dish wrapped in bread dough - while many cultures, especially in Asia, excel at producing all types of elaborately filled steamed, fried and baked dumplings.
The ones here are simple and practical, and aside from the plait, all are either turnovers or are baked in tins for easy unmoulding.