Stromboli Pizza

Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, Stromboli Pizza is a delicious twist on classic pizza flavours. What sets stromboli apart from traditional pizza is its presentation. This stuffed pizza is filled with meats and cheese, rolled, baked and sliced into pieces, revealing a delicious filling on the inside.

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The origins of this Italian-American dish are unclear, but it seems to have originated in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania in the 1950s. Certain theories suggest that people named Stromboli Pizza after the Italian island of Stromboli, famous for its active volcano. During baking, the cheese filling of the stromboli tends to ooze out, resembling the eruption of lava from a volcano!

The crust of Stromboli Pizza is made from the same dough as regular pizza. You fill it with savoury meats such as salami, mortadella, mozzarella, and provolone cheese, then roll it and bake. The best part comes when you dip that yummy morsel of stuffed pizza into a delicious marinara sauce or zesty pizza sauce.

Stromboli is a versatile dish that you stuff with various ingredients. You can serve it as a main dish, appetizer or snack, and it is a popular choice for parties and gatherings. With its delicious flavours and unique presentation, Stromboli Pizza will be a hit with pizza lovers and foodies alike.

Ingredients

• Homemade pizza dough is easy to make, and I encourage you to give it a try.
• If you purchase basil pesto instead of making your own, read the ingredients label and buy brands made with extra-virgin olive oil.
• A simple sauce with tomato paste to dip your stromboli is easy to make and can be made with ingredients you may already have in your pantry. Store-bought is also fine; look for products with minimal ingredients on the label.

See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• If not using homemade pizza dough, store-bought will work too.
• Substitute dried oregano or dried basil to sprinkle over the stromboli instead of sesame seeds.
• Use whichever cured meats and cheese you like best. I used traditional varieties, but using ham and Swiss cheese, for example, would likely be delicious.

Instructions

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and position one of the oven racks in the center. Line a 16 by 22-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Roll and shape dough: Divide the dough into two equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll and shape each dough ball into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle with the long edges of the dough parallel to your torso.

Brush with pesto: Begin assembling the Stromboli Pizza by brushing 2 tablespoons of basil pesto over the surface of each piece of dough, leaving a half-inch margin all around.

Layer meat and cheese: Onto each piece of the rolled-out dough, layer evenly 8 slices Genoa salami, 1 cup grated mozzarella, 4 slices provolone cheese and finish with 8 slices of mortadella. Make sure to leave a half-inch margin all around.

Brush with egg and fold edges: Brush a light layer of the beaten egg all around the half-inch margin of each stromboli. Reserve the remaining egg for later. Fold the short edges onto themselves just until they meet the edge of the meat and cheese layer.

Roll each stromboli: Roll each stromboli from the long edge closest to you to the long edge furthest from you. Pinch the long edge of the stromboli onto itself to seal.

Bake: Carefully transfer the strombolis to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Position each stromboli with the seam side down, spaced 4 inches apart. Brush with the remaining beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cut 8 slits into the top of each stromboli. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice and serve: Let cool 15 minutes before cutting each stromboli into roughly 12 pieces. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if using. Serve with pizza sauce or marinara for dipping.

Secrets for Success

• As tempting as it might be, don't overfill the stromboli. I've tested this recipe and have created the perfect ratio of cold cuts to cheese.
• Let the stromboli cool at least 15 minutes before digging in; your palate will thank you 😉

Storage & Reheating

• Store cooked stromboli in the refrigerator for 3 days.
• Reheat sliced stromboli on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. Or reheat in the Air Fryer on the reheat mode at 280 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
• To freeze the cooked unsliced stromboli, cool, then wrap tightly in foil and seal with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
• To reheat the frozen cooked unsliced stromboli, remove the plastic wrap and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat, keep the stromboli wrapped in foil and place it on the middle rack of a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 25 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of heating to crisp up the exterior.

🌟 Recommendations for safe food handling 🌟

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