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
This is a brief overview of how to make this amazing recipe. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card or click that great “jump to the recipe” button up above.
- Make pizza dough. As mentioned above, we have an amazing pizza dough recipe that I will talk about more below.
- Construct the stromboli. Roll out the pizza dough so that it is 10 by 15 inches. It helps to do this on a well floured large cutting board. Add sauce, meat, and cheese.
- Roll up the stromboli. Rolling from the shortest side (see the photos below), carefully roll up the dough. Pinch the ends closed, and then make a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
- Finish it off and bake it. Top the stromboli with melted butter, 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.
How to Construct a Stromboli
Start by rolling out the dough to be approximately 10 inches by 15 inches. No need to measure, just do your best. Then add pizza sauce.
Add salami and pepperoni.
Then add ham.
Top with cheese and roll it up.
Then pinch the ends closed.
The Best Pizza Dough
You absolutely can use store-bought pizza 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, but let me give you a few quick points I want to make sure you have.
- Use active dry yeast, not instant yeast.
- 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. Some pizzerias give their dough 24 hours. We find that a solid 2 hours is enough for our hungry brood.
The Best Pizza Dough
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 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.
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.
FAQ
While the dough can be made ahead of time, I do not recommend constructing the stromboli until you are ready to bake it.
Start with the shorter side of the rectangle and roll it up on itself. You can see the photos above for additional help.
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.
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!