My authentic Italian Stromboli uses homemade pizza dough, Mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian meats, Italian seasoning, rolled jelly-roll style, and brushed with melted butter and herbs before baking to a deep golden brown. Serve sliced with your favorite pizza sauce and you have homemade stromboli any night of the week.
This recipe is almost as popular as the mini pepper pizzas I make or the pink sauce served over pasta that my kids love. So many easy recipes for your Italian feast.
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🥫 Ingredients needed:
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
📝 Ingredient notes:
- Milk - warm the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is body temperature. You should be able to put your finger in it and not want to pull it out. Do not go over 120 degrees.
🔄 Substitutions
This recipe calls for fresh, cake yeast. It is not always available in every grocery store. For this recipe substitute 2 ½ teaspoons of dry, active yeast for the fresh yeast.
Instead of making the homemade dough, you are welcome to stop by your local pizzeria and pick up a premade dough ball. We have a local Italian restaurant near us that will keep a stock of Italian bread dough balls for people to pick up to make their own pizza crust. It is super convenient I will do this on super busy weeknights when we have to get dinner on the table fast.
The stromboli filling is really up to you! I love thin salami slices, spicy pepperoni, genoa salami, and a variety of hams but this is YOUR recipe. Start with your favorite pizza toppings and expand to include tasty ingredients such as basil leaves, thinly sliced bell pepper, romano cheese, and ricotta cheese to make a particular version that will be sure to be a fa family favorite on pizza night.
🔪 Classic Italian Stromboli (Easy Instructions)
- Mix yeast with sugar, warm milk and 3 tablespoons of flour in a bowl allowing the yeast to bloom.
- Add the egg, salt, remaining flour and melted butter. Knead the dough, add a little flour if necessary.
- Allow the dough to rise.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangular layer. Brush with melted butter mixed with crushed garlic.
- Layer in the meats and cheeses.
- Roll into a roll, pinch the ends. Top it with butter mixed with parmesan and herbs. Make incisions. Put in the oven for 40 minutes at 350F.
📷 Easy Stromboli Directions (photo instructions)
- In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm milk and 3 Tablespoons of flour and allow to look and bubble for 15 minutes.
- After the mixture is bubbly, add the egg, flour, melted butter and salt (in that order) to the yeast mixture. Stir until the dough starts to come together and form a ball.
- Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a clean surface that has been dusted with flour. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Extra flour may be necessary.
- Lightly great the bowl with a few drops of olive oil, return the dough to the greased bowl, cover with a clean towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle. The rectangle should be the size of your cookie sheet. Brush on a mixture of butter and crushed garlic.
- Spread out ⅓ the mozzarella and spread the sliced ham out in a single layer.
- Repeat sprinkling on ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella followed by the rest of the Italian meats. Finish by topping the meats with the final ⅓ of mozzarella cheese and ½ of the parmesan cheese.
- Starting in the upper left corner of the long side of the rectangle if you are the right-handed and upper right side of the rectangle is you are left-handed, fold and roll the dough over the meat and cheese. Continue to roll it up, jellyroll style until you have a rolled up stromboli. Pinch the seam closed.
- With the stromboli place seam side down, brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and herbs. Using a sharp knife, slice slits in the top to release the steam as the stromboli bakes.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is starting to ooze.
- Remove the baked stromboli from the oven, and for best results allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thick 3-inch slices.
- Serve with your favorite homemade marinara sauce, tomato sauce or your dipping sauce of choice.
❄️ Storage Tips
Be sure to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container or zip-top bag.
♨️ Reheating Instructions
To keep the crisp crust, wrap in tin foil and place in a preheated 300 degree oven until heated through. Reheat time till vary depending on the size of the leftover.
Tips
When working with the dough, if it is too sticky, you can either flour it to absorb some of the moisture or add a bit of olive oil to your hands as you knead the dough.
This recipe calls for fresh, cake yeast. It is not always available in every grocery store. For this recipe substitute 2 ½ teaspoons of dry, active yeast for the fresh yeast.
Italian Stromboli Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 T sugar
- ⅔ ounce Yeast, cake
- ⅓ cup milk
- 4 ¾ cup flour plus more as needed and for dusting.
- pinch salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup butter melted
Filling
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 cups mozzerella cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan divided
- 6 ounces ham sliced thin
- 6 ounces salami sliced thin
- 6 ounces pepperoni sliced thin
- 1 bunch herbs dill or parsley
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm milk and 3 Tablespoons of flour and allow to look and bubble for 15 minutes.2 T sugar, ⅔ ounce Yeast, cake, ⅓ cup milk
- After the mixture is bubbly, transfer the yeast mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the egg, flour, melted butter and salt (in that order) to the yeast mixture. Stir until the dough starts to come together and form a ball.4 ¾ cup flour, 1 egg, ¼ cup butter, pinch salt
- Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a clean surface that has been dusted with flour. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Extra flour may be necessary.
- Lightly great the bowl with a few drops of olive oil, return the dough to the greased bowl, cover with a clean towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle. The rectangle should be the size of your cookie sheet. Brush on a mixture of butter and crushed garlic.¼ cup butter, 3 cloves garlic
- Spread out ⅓ the mozzarella and spread the sliced ham out in a single layer.2 cups mozzerella cheese
- Repeat sprinkling on ⅓ of the shredded mozzarella followed by the rest of the Italian meats. Finish by topping the meats with the final ⅓ of mozzarella cheese and ½ of the parmesan cheese.6 ounces ham, 6 ounces salami, 6 ounces pepperoni, ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- Starting in the upper left corner of the long side of the rectangle if you are the right-handed and upper right side of the rectangle is you are left-handed, fold and roll the dough over the meat and cheese. Continue to roll it up, jellyroll style until you have a rolled up stromboli. Pinch the seam closed.
- With the stromboli place seam side down, brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and herbs. Using a sharp knife, slice slits in the top to release the steam as the stromboli bakes.1 bunch herbs, ¼ cup butter
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is starting to ooze.
- Remove the baked stromboli from the oven, and for best results allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thick 3 inch slices.
- Serve with your favorite homemade marinara sauce, tomato sauce or your dipping sauce of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
Founder & Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 13 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
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