Name: Stromboli Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup warm water; 1 Tbsp dry active yeast; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 Tbsp honey; 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 tsp salt; 8 slices dry salami; 16 oz pork sausage ((browned) ); 4 oz canned mushrooms ((drained) ); 1/2 onion; 4 oz black olives ((sliced)); 1 Tbsp jalapeno slices ((chopped)); 2 cups mozzarella ((shredded)); 1/2 cup parmesan cheese ((grated)); freshly ground pepper; 1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water; 1 tbsp oregano

Easy Stromboli Recipe made from simple bread dough and filled with my favorite stromboli toppings of meat, mozzarella, and tomato sauce! I include my top three stromboli filling ideas with easy homemade tips for making stromboli dough like a pro!

Stromboli recipe with salami

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Stromboli is a popular Italian food widespread around your favorite pizza restaurants! Try our Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe that you can easily make strombolis from! We also have an easy homemade Crescent Rolls Dough Recipe that you make from scratch in minutes for stromboli (it’s a great copycat for Pillsbury!)

What Is Stromboli?

What is a stromboli? Stromboli is an Italian American rolled pizza filled with meat, cheese, or other pizza topping ingredients. Although a classic stromboli recipe is made from pizza dough, you can make stromboli using Crescent rolls, basic bread dough, puff pastry, and even frozen bread dough! Basically, any type of dough that would be suitable for a savory pastry.

So, where is this recipe for stromboli from? This stromboli recipe was a family-favorite birthday dinner food from a great Mennonite cook, by the name of Hope Helmuth. She shared this recipe in her Hopes Table Cookbook, where I originally discovered it. I’ve tried many stromboli recipes but have to admit hers is the BEST stromboli recipe I have tried! I’m so privileged to have her permission to share this greatness with others! Hope also mentions this recipe works for calzones as well. This stromboli is so easy to make and looks like a pizzeria special!

Stromboli vs Calzone:

Like pizza, stromboli is very similiar. The difference between stromboli and calzone is that a calzone is folded in half whereas stromboli is rolled up into a cylinder shape. Calzone vs stromboli is a matter of how the pizza dough is shaped and sealed. These Italian-inspired foods are typically made from pizza dough and then filled with pizza toppings and sometimes tomato sauce.

Best Stromboli Dough For Making Stromboli?

Stromboli is typically made with pizza dough so any homemade pizza dough or bread dough that contains leavening (yeast) will work. To make things easy, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, refrigerated pizza crust, or even puff pastry would work for this stromboli dough recipe! However, I should tell you that this homemade dough recipe is super easy!

How To Roll a Stromboli?

The key to making stromboli is to seal the filling in properly. First, roll out the dough to a large rectangle and place all the fillings onto the center. Then for an easier shortcut to rolling simply wrap the filling over with one side of the dough and then fold in the other side over the top and pinch down the edges to seal. This is an easier alternative to braiding and helps prevent the stromboli from getting too big if you were to roll up jelly-roll style.

Stromboli Filling Ideas:

Here are the most popular Stromboli ideas, variations, and types of stromboli to try:

Buffalo Chicken: spread 3 tablespoons of ranch or blue cheese dressing over the dough. Top with 1 pound of cooked chicken, 2 cups of mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of hot sauce.
Pepperoni Stromboli: top dough with 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of pepperoni slices, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
Bacon and Chicken Stromboli: spread dough with 1/3 cup of creamy caesar dressing, 1 pound of chicken strips, 1/ 2 cup of chopped bacon, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, 4 Tbsp of heavy cream, and 2/3 cup of parmesan cheese.
Ham and Cheese Stromboli: top with 8 oz of ham and 8 oz of melted Velveeta cheese. I like to melt Velveeta with a little milk to thin it out.
Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli: (aka steak stromboli) make my Philly Cheesesteak Recipe for the filling!
Cheese Stromboli: make three-cheese stromboli by combining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella, 3/4 of ricotta, and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
Meat Stromboli: make it Sicily-style and top with my favorite meat lovers toppings like 1 pound of pork sausage, 6 oz of pepperoni slices, 1/2 cup of chopped bacon, and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Spread a thin layer of sweet tomato sauce, if desired.
Cheeseburger Stromboli: top with 1 pound of ground beef, 8 oz American cheese, salt and pepper, 2 Tbsp ketchup, and 1 Tbsp of yellow prepared mustard.
Vegetarian Stromboli: make a veggie stromboli using cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, or any leftover veggies you may have sitting in your fridge. You can also top any pizza dough crust with 6 oz of green bell peppers, 6 oz broccoli, 6 oz mushrooms, and 2 cups of mozzarella.

Stromboli Ingredients:

Classic stromboli is made from Italian cold-cut meats (salami or other lunch meats), Mozzarella, and sometimes a thin layer of tomato sauce (pizza sauce.) This stromboli dough recipe is a take on the traditional filling only, with way more flavor from the addition of mushrooms, sausage, and parmesan cheese!

Stromboli Dough: is made with simple dough ingredients such as water, yeast, olive oil, salt, high gluten flour, and a sweetener like honey or sugar.
Traditional Filling: is a stromboli filling of salami slices, crumbled pork sausage, mushrooms, onion, black olives, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and a few jalapeno peppers slices. My other favorite filling is the Mennonite filling: yellow mustard, deli ham, salami, pork sausage, American cheese, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. So good!
Topping: for stromboli is simply egg wash, water, and dried herbs.
Marinara Sauce for dipping (optional.)

How To Make Stromboli:

Homemade stromboli is easy with this simple bread dough. The dough only takes 20 minutes to rise and then the stromboli can be filled and baked immediately! It’s so quick and easy!

Make the quick and easy pizza dough first by combining the dough ingredients. Knead and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep all the filling ingredients.
Roll out the dough to a large 12×20-inch rectangle and layer all the fillings in the order given right onto the center.
Cover the filling with one side of the dough then overlap with the opposite side and seal the edges. This is an easy way to make stromboli without having the filling come out.
Place onto a lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with dried oregano.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F or until done.

What To Serve With Stromboli?

Think of a Stromboli sandwich or stromboli calzone, and pizza… What goes with stromboli food is what you would serve with pizza or breadsticks. Here are some sides that go with just about any type of stromboli food!

Q&A

My Top Three Favorite Stromboli Fillings:

Traditional Filling: is the recipe I included in the recipe card. It’s a traditional Italian-style stromboli filling that is very flavorful.
Mennonite Filling: is another stromboli filling that Hope featured in her cookbook. It’s one of my favorites! Simply spread 3 Tbsp of yellow prepared mustard over the dough, 1/2 pound of sliced ham, 6 slices salami, 3/4 pound of browned pork sausage, 6 slices American cheese, 2 cups shredded mozzarella, and salt and pepper.
Doreen’s Stromboli: is also a favorite of fine, she adds 1 cup of sweet marinara sauce, 1 pound of pork sausage, 6 oz pepperoni, 1 cup of chopped ham or Canadian Bacon, and 2-4 cups mozzarella cheese. She’ll mix together 4 Tbsp of oil, 2 teaspoons of parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning, and garlic salt for the topping before baking.

Can You Make Ahead Stromboli?

Stromboli dough can be made 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container until assembling. Since the dough is leavened it will rise some in the fridge which is why I don’t recommend it sitting in the fridge wrapped with its fillings.

To Make Ahead: keep the dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove and allow the dough to rest for a couple of hours. Stretch the stromboli dough into a rectangle, fill, and bake as instructed.

How To Reheat Stromboli?

Reheating stromboli is easy! If you happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat it simply microwave it until warm or oven-bake individual slices, uncovered at 350°F for 7-8 minutes. You can also reheat stromboli in an air-fryer or skillet for a crisp crust.

Can You Freeze Stromboli?

Like frozen Digiorno stromboli, you can freeze homemade stromboli too. To Freeze stromboli: you’ll want to cool it completely before wrapping it in aluminum foil. Place wrapped up stromboli into a 2.5-gallon-sized and keep frozen for up to 3 months.

To reheat frozen stromboli: place wrapped and frozen stromboli into a pre-heated 350°F and bake for 30-45 minutes in the center of the oven until reheated.

How Long To Bake Stromboli?

How long you cook stromboli depends on the oven temperature and thickness of the dough. Generally, a large stromboli takes about 20 minutes to cook at an oven temperature of 400°F. A stromboli cook time can vary from oven to oven, so be sure to check the bottom crust for some browning.

What Meat Is In Italian Stromboli?

Stromboli is usually made from Italian cold cuts, like dry and cured salami, ham, pepperoni, or prosciutto. Sometimes you will see ground beef or pork sausage as an ingredient, which is popular throughout Italian American Pizzerias.

Dipping Sauces:

Any marinara sauce or sweetened tomato sauce goes best for dipping stromboli. Dip this Italian Stromboli into any of the sauce suggestions below.

Stromboli Origin?

Surprisingly Stromboli food is of a United States origin, which is contrary to what we may think of Stromboli in Italy. Stromboli is near me and widespread throughout American Pizzerias, it is also sometimes mistaken for a calzone and is very similar to pizza.

How Many Calories In Stromboli?

Stromboli Tips:

Lightly flour the workspace when wrapping the stromboli, this helps the dough from sticking to the surface.
Serve with a side of dipping sauce like marinara or your favorite tomato sauce.
Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for even browning.
Stromboli is perfect for gatherings or potlucks, especially for an easy weeknight dinner meal!
Make a Breakfast Stromboli: top with a dozen of scrambled eggs, 8 oz of cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup of green onions. Be creative, stromboli can be filled with any ingredients that you have on hand! There are even chicken pot pie stromboli and Cinnamon stromboli so use your imagination!
To make a stromboli braid, layer the center of the stromboli. Make 1/2″ slashes on the sides and overlap sides altering to make a braided look.
Stromboli should be baked immediately after filling to prevent them from growing too big. If doubling the recipe make sure to work quickly so that the dough doesn’t rise too much, otherwise stromboli will be more like stuffed bread.
Inspired by the Stromboli sandwich, try our delicious sandwich recipes.
Make stromboli bites or hot pockets for individual portions.
This recipe for stromboli bread takes about 20 minutes to make before filling!
Wondering what Stromboli pans are best? Stromboli food is like a pizza, however, you don’t want to cook stromboli in perforated pans or bakeware with holes. The fillings can leak out so, our top choices are large baking pans or sheet pans.
Calzone Stromboli: to shape this Stromboli dough into calzones, divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll it out into circles. Fill with pizza toppings on one side of each circle and fold in half like a turnover. Pinch and seal edges then brush with egg wash and herbs as instructed.

More Pizza Recipes:

More Bread Recipes To Try:

French Bread Recipe– make a pull-apart garlic bread wreath from this dough!
Feather-Light Hamburger Buns– try our Cheeseburger sliders with this bread!
Subway Bread Recipe (Italian Herb and Cheese Copycat)

How To Make Stromboli:

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