Stromboli
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This easy stromboli is packed with Italian meats, cheese, and plenty of flavor—perfect for game day or any casual gathering!
An Italian-American dish that originated in the city of Philadelphia, stromboli is like a rolled-up version of pizza. Filled with cheese and Italian deli meats, like pepperoni, salami, and ham, and served with marinara sauce for dipping, it’s a huge crowd-pleaser—perfect for game day, an easy dinner, or anytime you’re having people over. Just a heads-up: stromboli disappears quickly, so I recommend making two rolls, especially if you’re feeding a hungry group.
I use my favorite homemade pizza dough to make this stromboli recipe, but store-bought dough works great, too. And don’t worry if your stromboli bursts a little while baking—it’s totally normal for some cheese to ooze out. In fact, the dish is said to be named after Mt. Stromboli, one of Italy’s active volcanoes, because the ingredients look like they’re about to explode out of the crust.
Table of Contents
“Kids and husband asked for something ‘different’ for dinner. This was gobbled up in minutes with immediate requests to make it again very soon!”
What You’ll Need To Make Stromboli
- Homemade or store-bought pizza dough – Acts as the base of the stromboli, holding all the delicious fillings together; you can use store-bought dough for convenience or homemade if you prefer.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Adds flavor and richness to the filling.
- Garlic – Infuses the stromboli with a subtle garlicky aroma and flavor.
- Dried oregano – A classic Italian herb that adds warmth and earthy flavor to the filling.
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional) – Adds a touch of heat and spice for those who like a little kick.
- Pecorino Romano – This sharp, salty cheese that enhances the flavor of the stromboli.
- Provolone & Mozzarella – These two cheeses melt beautifully together, providing a mild, creamy, and irresistibly gooey texture.
- Deli ham and Italian Cured Meats – A variety of meats bring savory, salty and bold flavors to the stromboli.
- Italian cured meats (such as salami, pepperoni, bresaola) – A variety of meats bring savory, salty, and bold flavors; using at least two types ensures a well-rounded taste.
- Egg (beaten) – Brushed on top to give the stromboli a shiny, golden-brown finish after baking.
- Store-bought or homemade marinara sauce (optional) – Perfect for dipping, adding a tangy and savory complement to the rich filling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
On a lightly floured work surface, stretch and/or roll the dough into a 10×12-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick.
Arrange the dough rectangle so the long side is closest to you. Brush the surface with the oil, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Spread the garlic evenly over the top of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes (if using), and the pecorino romano.
Shingle the provolone slices evenly over the pecorino romano, followed by the ham, mozzarella, and cured meats.
Brush the borders of the dough with the egg (reserve the remaining egg for brushing the top of the stromboli). Fold the bottom third of the stromboli in toward the middle.
Fold the top third of stromboli down to cover first fold, creating a wide log, like a folded letter. Pinch the seam tightly to seal.
Transfer the stromboli to the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Pinch the ends tightly to seal and tuck underneath. Loosely cover the stromboli with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour. (The stromboli won’t look much different after the rise; that’s okay.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg. Using a sharp knife, make 5 evenly spaced 1/2-inch-deep slits, 1-1/2 inches long, on top of the stromboli.
Bake until golden brown, puffy, and bubbling, about 35 minutes (if you have a thermometer, the center should register 200°F). Some grease or cheese may bubble out of the sides and top; that’s normal. Use a paper towel to blot any excess grease on the baking sheet.
Let the stromboli cool on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve warm or at room temperature, with marinara sauce on the side (if using).
Video Tutorial
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Stromboli
This easy stromboli is packed with Italian meats, cheese, and plenty of flavor—perfect for game day or any casual gathering!
Ingredients
- 1 lb homemade or store-bought pizza dough (see note)
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- A few pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons finely grated pecorino romano
- 4 thin slices (3 oz) provolone cheese
- 4 medium slices (3 oz) deli ham
- 4 thin slices (3 oz) mozzarella cheese
- 14 thin, large slices (3 oz) Italian cured meats, such as salami, pepperoni, bresaola, etc. (use at least two different kinds for best results)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Store-bought or homemade marinara sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured work surface, stretch and/or roll the dough into a 10x12-inch rectangle, about ¼-inch thick. (Be sure not to roll the dough too thin.)
- Arrange the dough rectangle so the long side is closest to you. Brush the surface with the oil, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Spread the garlic evenly over the top of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes (if using), and the pecorino romano.
- Shingle the provolone slices evenly over the pecorino romano, followed by the ham, mozzarella, and cured meats. Brush the borders of the dough with the egg (reserve the remaining egg for brushing the top of the stromboli). Fold the bottom third of the stromboli in toward the middle. Fold the top third of stromboli down to cover first fold, creating a wide log, like a folded letter. Pinch the seam tightly to seal. Transfer the stromboli to the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Pinch the ends tightly to seal and tuck underneath the stromboli. Loosely cover the stromboli with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour. (The stromboli won't look much different after the rise; that's okay.)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg. Using a sharp knife, make 5 evenly spaced ½-inch-deep slits, 1½ inches long, on top of the stromboli. Bake until golden brown, puffy, and bubbling, about 35 minutes (if you have a thermometer, the center should register 200°F). Some grease or cheese may bubble out of the sides and top; that's normal. Use a paper towel to blot any excess grease on the baking sheet. Let the stromboli cool on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve warm or at room temperature, with marinara sauce on the side (if using).
- Note: If you're using the homemade pizza dough, you'll only need 1 lb. of it for the stromboli. You can either cut the recipe in half or make the whole recipe and refrigerate or freeze the other dough ball.
- Make Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stromboli can be prepared, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 12 hours before baking. Add the egg wash and cut slits right before baking, and allow a few extra minutes in the oven. To freeze the stromboli before baking, fill and roll the stromboli as directed but do not add the egg wash or cut slits. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Add the egg wash and cut slits right before baking, and allow a few extra minutes in the oven.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 418
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Sodium: 1,169 mg
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This has been burning a hole in my recipe pocket since I saw it posted. Finally made it today using Trader Joe’s pizza dough (I can make my own, but…). I also used Italian meats and ham from there. My 19 and 20-year-old literally just devoured it. They like dipping it in ranch dressing, but I had marinara ready. It is absolutely fantastic. They were amazed–me too!
Excellent! Loved it! Couldn’t find Gruyere cheese so I had to substitute Swiss. Didn’t make the marinara sauce but I will next time. We ended up having it with your broccoli soup – heavy meal but so worth it. Also bought store pizza dough just because I didn’t have the time to make my own (which I would normally do)…so again, next time. Doesn’t really need the sauce but I think it would bring it to the next level. My hubby was also suggesting maybe 2 sauces…a marinara and maybe even a really good aioli? What do you think about an aioli dip Jenn? Would it work? Also, would putting the marinara sauce inside the sandwich and cook it then? Or would that not work?
Hi Judy, so glad you liked it! I wouldn’t recommend putting marinara sauce inside the stromboli as it will make the crust really soggy. Instead, I’d serve it on the side for dipping. And I’ve never thought to serve it with an aïoli, but feel free if that appeals to you!
This was amazingly simple and delicious. My husband and his friend are restoring a car and I brought this down for lunch 🙂 They ate everything and loved it!! I’ll be making it again really soon.
Looks Great! If you make it ahead do you do the 1 hour rise before or after you have it in the fridge/freezer? Just trying to plan around kids sport schedules, so stuff that I can make in the afternoon and have ready to cook keeps us from eating sandwiches everyday! I have a feeling this will be in regular rotation.
Hi Maura, you would do the 1 to 2-hour rise before refrigerating it. Hope you and the kids enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I made the Stromboli recipe and it came out perfectly. I found,however, I am not a fan of warm cold cuts. I made same dough recipe and made a meatball Stromboli and it was delicious. I would love it if you could give other options such as a meatball Stromboli recipe as well as a sausage and pepper recipe. Not sure if that would be called calzone or Stromboli. Clearly I am in need of instruction. I do love all of your recipes so thank you. Marie
Hi Marie, So glad you like the recipes! While I don’t have a specific recipe for meatball or sausage and pepper strombolis, you really could use any fillings you’d like inside this dough. 🙂
I’ve been making something similar for years with pepparoni, roasted peppers and mozzarrella. Always a hit. Look forward to trying Jenn’s version.
My son and I just had our first slice. He actually finished his slice before I did, lol. It was SO good. I was a bit nervous because I know I rolled out the dough to thin but it still came out fine. I barely had any fluid bubble out to boot. My house smells like a pizza parlor, lol. Making your dough was so easy. My 2nd ball of dough is now in the freezer just waiting to be made next week. Thanks for 2 amazing recipes. My son Thanks you as well… 😉
Made this for the super bowl, it was even better than I expected! We dipped it in Italian dressing – amazing!
Wow! This was so delicious and pretty to boot! Made me look like a pro. Used your perfect pizza crust recipe and the only thing I would add for us is some more meat. I ate the leftovers today and it tasted even better after sitting a few days in the frig. I reheated it for one minute in the microwave. Thank you Jenn! We love it!
I made 2 Stromboli using your pizza dough recipe. Everything looked really good and made the kitchen smell so good. Unfortunately, once we took a bite, we found the dough to be incredibly salty. We ended up throwing away the second Stromboli. The pizza dough recipe called for 2 1/4 tsp of salt, it must be some kind of mistake. I used Morton Kosher salt. Not sure I would want to make this again, but if I did, I would probably only use (recommend) 1 tsp of salt. I always enjoy your recipes but this one did not quite work out.
Morton Kosher is twice the weight of regular salt.
In general, if a recipe calls for table salt, use double the amount of kosher salt. So 1 teaspoon of table salt will be replaced with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and vice versa. So your answer is slightly confusing.
Hi! I am new to pizza dough. Wow. Not as easy as I thought to roll into a rectangle, LOL. Question if you have time to help – Because of time constraints I used store-bought dough. I let it sit out 30 minutes per the other comments regarding store-bought dough. Do you still need to let it sit for an hour before cooking if it was already out for 30 minutes? I’m erring on the side of caution for this round and having it sit for an hour, but would be great to know for the future. As well, any tips on rolling/shaping into rectangle also welcome. (I plan to do some independent research on this, too). So happy I found your website – so far, everyone has loved all the recipes we have made! I love the clear, step-by-step directions and photos. Need to buy a cookbook next! Thank you so much!
Hi Susie, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Sometimes it’s easier to stretch the dough with your hands rather than roll it; I usually stretch it first, and then roll. And yes, you would still let it sit out for an hour before baking.