Description
Homemade Stromboli is a delicious Italian-American dish featuring homemade bread dough rolled with layers of thinly sliced deli meats, cheeses, and a garlic butter spread. This recipe yields two large 16-inch strombolis, perfect for sharing at any gathering or family meal. The dough is soft and flavorful with a golden, crispy crust, and the fillings meld beautifully when baked to a bubbly, savory perfection. Serve with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping to enjoy a classic, comforting meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Homemade Dough for 2
- 1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active-dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 and 1/2 cups (about 450g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
Fillings for 2
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 pound thinly sliced meats such as Italian cold cuts, deli ham, or large pepperoni slices
- 3/4 - 1 pound cheese (about 3 cups shredded or about 16-20 slices deli cheese)
Egg Wash & Topping for 2
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water (egg wash)
- Optional: sprinkle of chopped fresh or dried parsley, coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and/or parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.
- Add Ingredients and Mix: Add the olive oil, salt, and flour to the yeast mixture. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes to start forming the dough.
- Knead the Dough: Switch to the dough hook if necessary and knead in the mixer for an additional 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until the dough is soft, slightly tacky, and elastic. Use the windowpane test to check if kneaded enough.
- First Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size. Alternatively, use a warm oven for rising if needed.
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Shape Dough: Punch down the dough to release air and divide into two equal halves. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a 10×16-inch rectangle. Let dough rest if it shrinks while rolling.
- Prepare Fillings: Mix melted butter with minced garlic. Spread this mixture evenly over each dough rectangle and sprinkle with parsley. Layer thinly sliced meats over dough leaving 1 inch border on bottom and sides and a 3 inch border on top. Add a layer of cheese and repeat with meat and cheese until used.
- Roll and Seal: Brush the edges and top border with egg wash to help seal. Roll each dough tightly from bottom to top into a 16-inch log, folding in ends as you roll. Pinch ends and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
- Final Touches: Brush the outside of each stromboli with egg wash and sprinkle optional toppings such as parsley, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, or parmesan. Cut 3-4 slits on top for steam release. Optionally refrigerate covered up to 8 hours before baking.
- Bake: Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Rotate pans halfway through if baking both at once. Cheese may bubble out and some grease may leak depending on meat used.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Slice into 10-12 pieces per stromboli and serve plain or with pizza/marinara sauce for dipping.
- Store Leftovers: Store any leftover stromboli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Dough: After rising and dividing dough, wrap half in plastic and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before use, rest 30 minutes at room temperature before shaping.
- Freezing Shaped Stromboli: Fill and roll but do not cut or egg wash. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours, then add egg wash and toppings before baking.
- Freezing Baked Stromboli: Cool completely, wrap well and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw 1 hour at room temperature and reheat at 350°F (177°C) for 30 minutes covered with foil.
- Vegetarian Options: Substitute meats with cooked vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, spinach or basil, using about 2 cups per stromboli plus cheese.
- Adjusting Fillings: Use 1/2 pound meat and 1/2 pound cheese per stromboli. For cheeses, 1 1/2 cups shredded or 10-12 slices per stromboli recommended. Mix types like provolone and mozzarella for best flavor.
- Egg-Free Option: Skip egg wash and brush outside with melted butter instead.
- Adding Sauce: Optionally spread 1/2 cup pizza or marinara sauce on dough before layering fillings, skipping garlic butter or leaving it on.
- Rest Dough if Shrinking: If dough shrinks back during rolling, cover and let rest 10 minutes before continuing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of stromboli)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
