Stromboli: an irresistible recipe for the beloved Italian-American dish

This easy homemade stromboli recipe is a meat lover's delight. Packed with tasty mozzarella, and ham wrapped in homemade pizza dough and baked to golden brown perfection, stromboli makes a fabulous hearty dinner to whip up this week.

The best part? You can customize your stromboli however you like – add veggies, sausage, chicken, turkey, or anything you fancy! Serve homemade stromboli with a side of marinara sauce, a salad, garlic knots with herbed butter, soup, or roasted vegetables for a hearty, mouthwatering meal your family will adore.

What Is A Stromboli?

A Stromboli is a turnover inspired by the flavors and textures of pizza. On a pizza, the toppings are placed on a rounded dough. With a Stromboli, you place the toppings on top, and carefully roll up the dough with the toppings on the inside.

Toppings usually used in Stromboli are Italian cold cuts of meat, cheese, pizza sauce, and sometimes even other vegetables. It’s said to have been invented by Italian-Americans in the US.

What Is The Difference Between a Stromboli and a Calzone?

Pizza, Stromboli, calzone…they taste the same, but what’s the difference? While most of them have the same basic ingredients (tomato sauce, meat, cheese, and fresh herbs), the differences are in the way the dough is shaped.

On a pizza, the toppings are placed on a rounded dough. On a calzone, the toppings are placed on one half, and the dough is folded over. To make a Stromboli, you place the topping on top, and carefully roll up the dough with the toppings on the inside.

Tips for Making the Best Stromboli

You can make the pizza dough up to three days ahead of time.

For more convenience, buy premade pizza dough from the supermarket.

Use homemade or store-bought marinara sauce.

Swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour to make a gluten-free stromboli.

Stromboli Filling Ideas

If you don’t like pepperoni, you can use any other meat. Try any of the following: salami, bacon, smoked chicken, or sausage.

Cheese: any provolone, and mozzarella cheese.

How to Store Stromboli

Keep your stromboli in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy it within four days. For longer storage, you can freeze stromboli for up to three months.

How to Make Stromboli

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Add water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl.

Combine and leave for 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy.

Pour the olive oil, and salt.

Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time, then mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes.

Divide the dough into equal halves. Roll the halves out to 10×13 inches and place them on baking trays.

Melt the butter, then mix in the basil, garlic powder, and oregano.

Brush the herb butter over both doughs.

Put 1 cup of mozzarella onto each dough, leaving a border around the edges so you can seal up your stromboli without the fillings spilling out.

Spread marinara sauce.

Add ham.

Top with pepperoni.

Roll the dough up into a log, making sure to pinch the seams shut as you go along. Roll the log so the seam side is down. Repeat with the other dough.

Brush the entire stromboli with egg wash.

Make a few diagonal slits along the top of the stromboli so steam can escape.

Brush the top with herb butter and add the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Slice, serve and enjoy!