This Stromboli recipe will blow your mind. Imagine the best pizza rolled up into bite sized pieces. It is absolutely delicious and makes for such a fun dinner.
Our family loves doing homemade pizza night on the weekends. We make our amazing pizza dough, and then make little pizzas that everyone tops with their favorites. It’s always a hit.
Well, I have a new recipe that is going to take pizza night to the next level. This stromboli recipe isn’t just easy, it’s fun and delicious. This is a great meal for kids and once you have the dough made, it takes just minutes to throw together.
Talk about a good recipe, WOW!! My kind of food, easy and quick to make and good to eat. Yum.
What’s a Stromboli
Stromboli’s were first made by Italian Americans in Philadelphia in the 1950s. The name comes from a movie title. The recipe usually involves pizza dough topped with sauce, cold cuts, and cheese, and then it is rolled and baked.
How to Make Stromboli
Step 1: Make Pizza Dough
As mentioned above, we have an amazing pizza dough recipe that I will talk about more below. You absolutely can use store-bought dough to make this recipe a little faster. There is no shame in that, and busy parents should do whatever they need to do to have quality dinner time.
If you would like to make homemade pizza dough, I suggest starting it the night before you plan on having homemade stromboli. It will give it a lot of time to rise. We have a full post on homemade pizza dough, so you will have success every time.
Homemade Pizza Dough
Step 2: Roll Out the Pizza Dough
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle that is roughly 10 by 15 inches on a well floured work surface. I like to do this on a cutting board. Then top it with pizza sauce. I have a delicious homemade recipe that only takes 5 minutes to make.
Step 3: Add the Meat
In this recipe we are using a combo of salami, pepperoni, and deli ham. Though you could certainly mix up the meats. I have a few suggestions listed below.
Step 4: Add the Cheese
We are using both mozzarella and Parmesan in this recipe, though as with the meat, you can switch out the cheese as well. As with all recipes that have cheese as a star, you will have the best results if you grate your own cheese. It melts best as it isn’t coated in preservatives like pre-shredded cheese.
Step 4: Roll up the Stromboli
Rolling from the shortest side, carefully roll up the dough. Pinch the ends closed to seal them and tuck them under, and then make a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
Step 5: Finish Off and Bake
Brush the top of the Stromboli with melted butter, then top with, cheese, and Italian seasoning. Then bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is golden brown. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes and then slice and enjoy.
Tips for Making Pizza Dough
- Use active dry yeast, not instant yeast.
- Stick to all-purpose flour. Avoid bread flour, and while you can use 00 flour, I find that it isn’t necessary for this recipe to turn out great. If you decide to use whole wheat flour, only replace half the amount in the recipe.
- Make sure your water is the correct temperature. An instant read thermometer is very helpful with this.
- If your yeast doesn’t proof (see the photos in the pizza dough post), then toss it and start over, it means the water was likely too hot or too cold.
- Give your dough plenty of time to rise in a large bowl. Some pizzerias give their dough 24 hours. We find that a solid 2 hours is enough for our hungry brood.
Pizza Sauce for Stromboli
Again, you can absolutely take the help of the store and buy pre-made pizza sauce. That being said, we have a really simple and easy to make pizza sauce that I think you’ll love. Be sure to really drain the tomatoes, especially for this recipe.
Pizza Sauce Recipe
Substitutions and Variations
There are so many things you can do with this great base recipe.
- Add in some vegetables: You could replace some of the meat in this recipe with veggies. Sautéed peppers, mushrooms, and onions would be delicious in this recipe.
- Change out the cheese: I love mozzarella in this but provolone cheese is another great melting cheese that would work well in this.
- Add more meat: If you really want to bulk out this great recipe further you could add more meat. Some cooked Italian sausage or more cured meat, like soppressata or capicola, would be fantastic in this.
- Switch out the sauce: While pizza sauce works great here, if you’d like a different flavor profile, my marinara sauce would be amazing here. You could also really switch things up and use my white pizza sauce.
Difference Between Calzone and Stromboli
The primary difference between these two delicious dishes is that a calzone is made like pocket or a turnover and a stromboli is rolled. Another difference between the two is that a calzone doesn’t traditionally have red sauce and a stromboli does. Though, realistically, most modern calzones do have tomato sauce. If you are looking for a good recipe, start here: Calzone Recipe.
Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container, after cooling, in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat the leftovers in the oven, baking them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
What to Serve with Stromboli
I love using my homemade spaghetti sauce for dipping the stromboli, but if you want side dishes to go along with it, here are some ideas:
If you make this stromboli recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Stromboli
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough (if you use my homemade recipe you can cut it in half)
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce
- 16 slices hard salami
- 20 slices pepperoni
- 1/4 pound ham
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the pizza dough so that it is approximately 10 inches by 15 inches. Top with the pizza sauce. Then add the salami, pepperoni, ham, and mozzarella cheese.
- Roll the the dough up, starting with the short side. (See the photos in the post.) Pinch the two ends and fold them under. Place the stromboli seam side down on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four slits in the top of the dough to let steam escape.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter. Then sprinkle with the cheese and the Italian seasoning. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Rachel says
Hi, I’m wondering, do I have to knead the store bought pizza dough or can I just roll it out to a rectangle when I’m ready to make the Stromboli? Thanks
Hi Rachel! Just roll it out and get going with the Stromboli!
Anna Richards says
Talk about a good recipe, WOW!! My kind of food, easy and quick to make and good to eat. Yum.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Anna!
Gloria says
Made the Stromboli last night. As I was rolling up the ingredients they slid off the dough. What a mess. Put the dough on a cooking sheet and then the toppings. Wound up with a deep dish pizza instead. It was delicious. I think I rolled the Stromboli too tight which caused the mess. I’ll make again but this time no sauce to prevent ingredients from moving off the dough. Will dip in sauce after it’s baked I had a good laugh actually.
Nicole says
This was a cheap recipe to replace the cost of ordering pizza. The ingredients were very budget friendly. It was quick and easy to make and we didn’t have leftovers. It was so delicious! My husband asked for this to be a regular on our menu. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that, Nicole!
Vicky says
Best Stromboli I’ve had! Everyone in my family really loved it!!!!❤️
I’m so happy to hear that, Vicky!
Carmine says
I make them all the time. You can honestly put anything in them. I’ve done Ham and Swiss. Roast beef and Muenster, all veggie with Alfredo, shredded Chicken Alfredo, shrimp and garlic (like scampi). Dipping sauces can be whatever your imagination can put together.