Stromboli

What Is It?

It isn't a sandwich. It isn't a pizza. It isn't a loaf of bread. It is a hybrid of all those things. In the earlier years of teaching Food and Nutrition classes this recipe made a wonderful project for following directions and using teamwork to accomplish a task when the team didn't really know what the final outcome would look like. I never gave them a picture; they had to trust the process. When eateries like Old Chicago began to appear many became familiar with Stromboli. 

Here we go . . . 

When done it will be piping hot and looking like this!

And this is what it will look like on the inside, oozing with goodness!

The Dough

You can thaw a loaf of frozen bread dough or use the following recipe.

Stromboli Dough

1 ¼ tsp. yeast

1 c. warm water

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. soft  margarine

¾ tsp. salt

2 ¾ to 3 c. flour

Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast in large mixing bowl.  Let yeast mixture rest for 5-10 minutes or until foamy.  

Add salt, margarine and 1 cup of flour.  Beat until mixture is smooth.  Add remaining flour until dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.  Turn dough onto floured counter and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and shiny.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until double in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Now What?

Stromboli

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (or above recipe)

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

¼ tsp. each garlic powder, salt, pepper, ground mustard, and oregano

½ lb. ground beef, cooked and drained

2 oz. pepperoni

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

1.  Place the thawed bread dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.  (This step is already done.)

2.  Punch down.  Roll dough into 15” x 12” rectangle.

3.  Combine egg, oil and seasonings in a bowl.  Brush over dough to within ½” of edges.  Set remaining egg mixture aside.

4.  Arrange cooked beef, pepperoni, cheeses and onion on dough to within ½ “ of edges.  Roll up jelly-roll style, beginning with one long side.  Seal edges well.  place seam side down on greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper).  Brush with remaining egg mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.  Do not under bake. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. 

 Speaking From Experience . . .

If you are going to use the frozen dough, plan ahead! You will need plenty of time to thaw it out. The above recipe was developed when I failed to plan ahead and the recipe worked so well that I've used it ever since. It is a basic white bread recipe. I have also used whole wheat flour and you can also let the bread machine mix the dough. Just don't let it bake!

The egg and oil mixture is enough for two, so if you are doubling, do not double that part.

You might think you want some pizza or marinara sauce in here, but trust me, if you absolutely must have sauce, use it very sparingly. You won't miss it and too much makes this messy and soggy. You can use the sauce for dipping at the table if you want.

Likewise, do not over-cheese this thing. When you take it out of the oven feel free to butter or oil the top a bit and sprinkle it with parmesan if you want.

When you get to the rolling up part, 4 hands work quite well, so find a friend to help you. In fact, find a friend to share the entire process. It makes things so much more enjoyable. It could easily be a child, a spouse, or anybody you enjoy being around. Let me suggest that even if it is a family member you might not feel like being around, this might just change everyone's attitudes! Working together to create good food will do that, you know.

When it is rolled into a log, sort of pinch the last edge to the log, so it is sealed. Once you get it moved onto the pan press the side of your hand firmly into the log right near each end to seal it shut, then flop that little end under the rest of the log. If it isn't sealed shut the cheese will melt and run out. Keep that yummy cheese inside!

I much prefer parchment paper on the baking sheet to greasing it. Clean up is a snap and the bottom won't burn.

One More Idea . . .

This is another of those "guideline" recipes. If you don't want pepperoni, don't use them. If you want sausage rather than ground beef, go for it! If you want to add peppers and mushrooms, do so, but chop them small. 

Feel free to experiment with fillings. The following is made with cooked chicken, steamed broccoli, a tiny bit of alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese and mozzarella.

Very good!

I have always wanted to try a Breakfast Stromboli, but I have yet to actually do it. Maybe scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, or sausage, with cheddar cheese would be good, along with a few peppers, tomatoes, and onions. I might have to give this a try!

Have fun with this wonderful recipe.