Description
At my house, stromboli is the most nostalgic snack – my Mom always served homemade stromboli for game days & family gatherings! Not only is it deliciously cheesy, it’s also low effort, low cost, & super sharable – things I especially appreciate when I’m feeding a crowd. Needless to say, if stromboli is new to you, you’re in for quite the treat!
You’ll notice this recipe is very loose by design – it’s meant to be a base recipe that you can customize to create strombolis that suit your cravings & preferences. Just follow the PWWB Golden Ratio of fillings in the Recipe Notes, below, but feel free to get creative & have fun with it. (If you need some inspiration to get started, check out the blog post, above – I’ve detailed 15 stromboli filling combinations that are always a hit at our house.)
Regardless of what fillings you choose to stuff inside your stromboli, I highly recommend using the DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit for your dough. It’s truly the only pizza dough I use – it even trumps my many attempts at homemade pizza dough! – because it’s made with a special blend of Type 00 Italian flour, which yields dough that’s both light & chewy all at once. All you have to do is add some warm water & salt, knead the dough, & set it aside to rise – so easy! Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more prep notes & make-ahead tips.
Ingredients
- 1 (one) 17.6-ounce DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit (yields 2 large stromboli)
- kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- stromboli filling (below)
- egg wash: 1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water
- optional topping: choice of Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, garlic salt, chopped fresh parsley, &/or grated parmesan, etc.
- for serving, as desired: warmed sauce of choice for dipping, grated parmesan, chopped fresh parsley, etc.
stromboli filling (per stromboli, double for 2 stromboli):
- 3 tablespoons sauce of choice
- 2 cups shredded cheese of choice, divided
- 8 ounces thin sliced deli meats of choice
- up to 4 ounces thinly sliced add-ins of choice, divided (see Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- Prepare the pizza dough kit: At least 1 hour before you’d like to start assembling stromboli, prepare the DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit according to package directions: combine the kit contents in a large bowl, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Add in the warm water, stirring until the dough begins to come together. The mixture will be very shaggy & wet. Turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough comes together in a soft & smooth ball, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel & set it in a warm place in your kitchen to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven: When the dough is risen & you are ready to begin baking the stromboli, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the bottom third of the oven.
- Prepare the stromboli dough: Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces (each approx. 12-15 ounces). Place one half of the dough on a lightly floured surface, sprinkling a little flour over the dough to prevent sticking. Use your fingers to press the dough flat & spread it out slightly, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10×14-inch rectangle. Repeat with second portion to create 2 strombolis. See Recipe Notes, below, for tips for rolling out stromboli dough & make-ahead/storage guidance.
- Assemble the stromboli: Brush 3 tablespoons of your sauce of choice over one of the prepared stromboli doughs, leaving a 1-inch border along the other long side & both short sides & a slightly wider border along one long side (aim for 2-3 inches, doing so helps with rolling the stromboli). Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over top the sauce. Layer 8 ounces meat of choice on top of the cheese & sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over the meats. If desired, add on one last layer of up to 4 ounces add-ons of choice.
- Fold the stromboli: Brush exposed edges around the toppings with egg wash. Fold the two short sides towards the center of the stromboli. Beginning with the long side with the 1-inch border, carefully fold the stromboli towards the opposite side with the wider 2-3 inch border. Aim to fold the stromboli twice, the short sides should stay tucked in as you go. Carefully transfer the stromboli to parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush a light coating of egg wash over the entire surface of the stromboli. Use a paring knife to cut 4 small slits along the top of the stromboli to allow steam to escape as it bakes. Sprinkle optional toppings over top. Repeat Steps 4-5 with the second stromboli. [gallery size="full" ids="33210,33212,33214"]
- Bake the stromboli: Transfer the stromboli to the oven & bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Slice & serve: Allow stromboli to rest 5 minutes before slicing into 1 1/2-inch cross sections. Serve warm with additional sauce for dipping as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- PWWB’s Stromboli Golden Ratio: For a 12-inch stromboli, aim to fill it with 3 tablespoons sauce of choice, 2 cups shredded cheese, 8 ounces thinly sliced deli meats, & up to 4 ounces thinly sliced add-ins of choice (e.g. bell peppers, onions, leafy greens, etc.). You may want to use briney or salty add-ins (e.g. olives, pickled peppers) a little more sparingly to prevent the stromboli from getting too salty. Refer to the blog post, above, for some suggested stromboli filling combinations!
- Stromboli dough tips & tricks for success:
- Stubborn dough: If at any point the stromboli dough gets stubborn, shrinking back or resisting rolling, cover it with a kitchen towel & let it rest for a few minutes – doing so lets the glutens in the dough relax & makes the dough much easier to work with!
- Make-ahead stromboli dough: You can prep fresh stromboli dough up to 3 days in advance. Divide the dough into individual dough balls according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Rather than proofing & rolling out the dough immediately, transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To use, let the dough balls come up to room temperature & proof for about 30 minutes before rolling out the dough.
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover stromboli will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat in the microwave until warmed through.