Stromboli

Stromboli is a wonderful Italian-American appetizer that’s full of great flavor.  Pizza dough is rolled up with ham, pepperoni, and provolone cheese and baked until golden.  Sliced and served with a marinara sauce for dipping, stromboli is a simple but impressive addition to any appetizer spread.

Stromboli is a wonderful Italian-American appetizer that hails from Philadephia.  

It’s essentially a turnover made with pizza dough, a touch of marinara sauce, and Italian cold cuts and cheese.

We serve stromboli with marinara dipping sauce at gatherings alongside some other favorite appetizers like arancini,  fried artichoke hearts and eggplant caponata. 

While we do provide our pizza dough recipe below and encourage you to use it, you can make it easier by using store-bought dough.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

Note: If starting at step 1 below this assumes you have marinara sauce and pizza dough ready to go.  For your convenience, our marinara sauce and pizza dough recipe instructions have been provided in the printable recipe card down below.

1. About 2 hours prior to starting your stromboli, remove the 24-ounce dough ball from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 425 f and set the rack to the middle level.  Using a floured rolling pin and floured hands, begin to roll out the dough on top of parchment paper for easier rolling.
2. Roll out the dough to a rectangle shape of about 16 by 12 inches.  You can grab and pull the dough to help form the rectangle more easily.

3. Place a thin layer of marinara sauce (about 3/4 cup) onto the dough leaving 3 inches open along the perimeter.
4. Layer 1/3 of a pound of thinly sliced ham, then 1/3 of a pound of thinly sliced pepperoni so they lightly overlap.
5. Layer 1/3 of a pound of sliced provolone and top with 2 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano cheese and Sicilian oregano, to taste. 
6. Fold the stromboli over a third of the way.

7. Tuck in the sides and continue to roll. 
8. With a wet pastry brush or wet fingers, brush the seam and roll with the parchment paper to form a log shape. 
9. Pinch the seam to ensure it’s closed and then place the stromboli seam side down and center it on an oiled baking pan or on top of a parchment paper-lined pan.
10. Beat 1 large egg and add a tablespoon of water to thin it out.  Brush the egg onto the top of the stromboli. 

11. Cut slits approximately 1 inch apart into the top of the stromboli with a sharp knife.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top. 
12. Bake the stromboli for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Let the cooked stromboli sit for at least 10 minutes to firm up and allow for easier cutting.  Serve with more marinara sauce for dipping.  Enjoy!

Top tips for standout stromboli

• The cold cuts. We love the combination of ham, pepperoni, and provolone for stromboli but encourage you to use whichever cold cuts you like. Sliced mozzarella could be subbed for provolone and you could definitely use salami, capicola, or soppressata in place of the pepperoni.  One thing to note when you order at the deli counter, order the meats thinly sliced for the best possible texture.
• The dough.  We used our pizza dough (24 ounces) for this recipe which is the same amount that’s used for our grandma pizza recipe. If you prefer to use store-bought or pizzeria dough, you can certainly do that to cut down the prep time.  Whichever dough you use, be sure to allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before rolling it out.  
• The eggwash. Using the eggwash will ensure the golden color on the crust of the stromboli.  It’s a simple step so don’t skip this one.
• Let it sit.  Be sure to allow the stromboli to sit after baking for a good 15 minutes.  This will allow for easier slicing and prevent the cheese from oozing out.
• The extras.  We used Sicilian oregano inside our stromboli but you can skip this if you’re not a fan.  We also love the texture that sesame seeds add to the top of the stromboli, but these are also optional.  You can either omit seeds entirely or change things up by using poppy seeds on the crust.  
• Making ahead.  If you plan to serve stromboli at a gathering, making it ahead of time is a great idea!  Cooked stromboli will be good in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven at 350f until hot.  Stromboli does freeze well so you can make it and freeze it for up to 3 months. 

If you love stromboli, we think you’ll enjoy these other recipes

• Pepperoni pinwheels – Pizza dough rolled up with pepperoni and cheese, pizzeria style.
• Italian Hero/Sub/Hoagie – Italian cold cuts piled high on seeded bread with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
• New York Pizza – How to make a New York-style round pizza at home.

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