Stromboli

A stromboli is a baked Italian sandwich - almost a cross between an Italian sub and a pizza. It differs from a calzone in that a stromboli is made from bread dough, instead of pizza dough.

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Stromboli

  • Prep Time: 20 m
  • Cook Time: 35 m
  • Total Time: 55 m
  • Servings:
    8
    2 strombolis

Ingredients

Italian Bread Dough (Makes 1 1/2 lbs.)
  • cups warm water 110° F
  • teaspoons sugar
  • teaspoons active dry yeast
  • cups bread flour
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • teaspoons salt
  • olive oil
Classic Italian Stromboli
  • pounds Italian bread dough
  • 1/3 cup tomato sauce
  • ¼ pound thinly sliced capicola ham
  • ¼ pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
  • ¼ pound thinly sliced sandwich pepperoni
  • ¼ pound sliced provolone
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg beaten
  • cornmeal for dusting
  • dried oregano
  • marinara sauce for serving

Instructions

  1. If you are making your own bread dough, pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and mix until creamy. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. The yeast should foam a little. If it doesn’t, your yeast could be inactive. Start again with fresh active yeast.
  2. Add the flours and salt and mix well, using the dough hook attachment. Mix well until a tight ball is formed. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Brush the dough ball with olive oil on all sides and place it in a large bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel. Place a sheet tray on the bottom rack of your oven and fill it with boiling water. Place the bowl of dough in the oven on a rack above the sheet pan of water, close the oven door and let the dough rise in this warm moist environment for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
  4. After the dough has risen, punch it down to remove any air from the dough and divide it in half, shaping each half into a ball. Let the two balls of dough rest again for at least 30 minutes. Then, roll each ball out into a 14-inch x 11-inch rectangle.

  5. Spread the tomato sauce over the rectangles, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Layer half of the ingredients on each rectangle in the following order: Capicola ham, genoa salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top.
  6. Starting with one of the long ends of dough, roll each stromboli into a log, tucking in the short ends and pinching the seam to seal shut.
  7. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a baking sheet and place Stromboli, seam side down, on the sheet. Brush the top with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with dried oregano. Make four slits across each stromboli to vent. Transfer the sheet to the oven.
  8. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Let the stromboli stand for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Slice with a serrated knife in a sawing motion.
  9. Serve with additional marinara sauce on the side.
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Comments (12)Post a Reply

  1. 5 stars
    I have made this many times and we love it. Would be a great addition to a Super Bowl party or an easy dinner for friends.

    1. Hi Shari. You could freeze this before OR after baking it. If you do freeze it beforehand, make sure you leave it out on the counter for 10 – 20 minutes first and then add time (about 10 to 20 minutes) to the baking time. If you freeze it afterwards, cover the strombolis in foil as you re-heat them in a 375ºF oven for about 20 to 30 minutes and then remove the foil for another 10 minutes or so.

  2. 4 stars
    Can’t wait to try this recipe. One question though, in step 3 is the oven on? Yes, at what recommended temperature?
    thank you

    1. Hi Diane. No, the oven is not on in step 3. All you are doing there is creating a warm moist environment for the dough to rise – a proof box of sorts. By putting the boiling water into the oven, it will heat the oven just enough for the dough to rise more rapidly.

    1. Hi Crystal. You could use 1½ cups of whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose flour, but you will still need to use the 1½ cup of bread flour.

  3. Hi, In step 4 you say “After the dough has risen, punch it down to remove any air from the dough and divide it in half, shaping each half into two balls.” Am I supposed to have four (4) small balls at this point? Of is this a misprint and I shape each half into only one (1) ball? The recipe does say that the yield is 2 Stromboli. I’d appreciate clarification before I make my first masterpiece. Thank you.

    1. After you divide the dough in half, you shape each half into a ball. You will have two dough balls and each one can be used to make a stromboli. The recipe has been adjusted to make the wording more clear. Enjoy your stromboli and share a photo of your masterpiece! Meredith loves to see what you all create in your kitchens.

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