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I’ll show you how to make homemade stromboli with my easy from-scratch dough recipe and spicy, cheesy filling. This Italian-American classic is the best appetizer when it’s sliced and served with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Easy Stromboli Recipe
Stromboli sounds Italian, but it was invented in Philly in the 50’s! It is an Italian-American recipe similar to pizza rolls and calzones. However, stromboli rolls the filling inside the dough, like a burrito. When you cut into it after baking, you’re greeted with melty pulls of mozzarella cheese and whatever delicious filling is inside. You’ll find it at nearly every game day, potluck, or party at my house when I’m giving my pizza dip a break.
I fill my stromboli with pepperoni, but you can customize the recipe with different cold cuts, cheeses, and vegetarian fillings.
About This Homemade Stromboli Recipe
- Crowd-favorite. Stromboli is the perfect appetizer, traditionally sliced and dipped in marinara sauce, like a mozzarella stick. This recipe makes two, so there’s enough to serve a crowd.
- Easy to make. I’ll show you how to make an easy, 6-ingredient yeasted dough from scratch. That being said, if you’re in a hurry, refrigerated pizza dough is a perfect shortcut.
- Customize the filling. There are so many ways to fill stromboli! You can substitute the pepperoni with salami or ham, or make it vegetarian by swapping the meat for spinach, vegetables, or pesto.
Dough Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make the Italian bread dough and the filling.
- Instant Yeast – Using instant yeast is as close as I can get to my yeast-free pizza dough. You’ll bloom the yeast in warm water (110-105ºF) and then mix in the dough ingredients.
- Sugar and Salt – Sugar feeds the yeast. I recommend white or light brown sugar. The salt boosts the flavors in the dough so it’s not bland.
- Olive Oil – I prefer the flavor of olive oil, but you can use any cooking oil.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour.
What Ingredients Go In Stromboli?
- Italian Herbs – You can buy a pre-mixed Italian blend that includes dried herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and parsley. Use one or more of these individual herbs to make your own seasoning, if needed.
- Pepperoni – Choose a thick log of pepperoni and slice it yourself, or look in the deli section for large pepperoni slices. You could make stromboli with other cured meats, like salami, prosciutto, coppa, or deli meat. Try a mix of meats for more flavor!
- Cheese – You can use sliced or freshly grated Mozzarella cheese, or another melty variety like Provolone or Gouda. Shredded cheese will also work.
- Egg – For the egg wash, to brush over the stromboli before baking. Brushing the dough with a water-egg mixture helps it bake up glossy and golden.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the water is warm, not hot. If the water you use to bloom the yeast is over 105ºF, it’ll be too hot and can kill the yeast.
- Use fresh yeast. If your yeast is old or expired, it won’t activate properly, and the dough won’t rise. If the yeast doesn’t foam after 5-10 minutes, it’s old or dead, and you should discard it and try again with fresh yeast.
- Let the dough rest. I like to rest the dough after I’ve rolled it into a large rectangle and before I assemble my stromboli. Resting for 5 minutes relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to handle and roll. Optional, but recommended!
- Seal it tightly. Make sure to pinch the seams of the dough logs tightly closed after you roll up the stromboli. If they aren’t closed, the cheese will leak out.
What to Serve With Stromboli
- Dips: Stromboli slices make a tasty appetizer dipped in warm pizza sauce or marinara sauce.
- Salad: Enjoy a slice or two with this Mediterranean salad or a tomato burrata salad.
- Pasta: Double down on the carbs with saucy chicken carbonara or leek and mushroom pasta. I also love this cold tortellini salad in the summertime.
- Meaty mains: Serve this stromboli as a side to cozy osso bucco, cheesy chicken parmesan, or stuffed eggplant in the colder months.
- Soup: Try this Italian wedding soup, Olive Garden-inspired Zuppa Toscana, or a rich, tomato lasagna soup. Also delicious for dipping!
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Stromboli Recipe
Stromboli is easy to make with homemade dough that's rolled up around spicy, cheesy filling and baked until golden. Slice and serve stromboli as an appetizer with pizza sauce for dipping!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1⅓ cups warm water, between 100-105ºF
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound large pepperoni, thinly sliced
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese, or Gouda, thinly sliced
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
For serving:
- warm pizza sauce, or marinara
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast. Add the water, yeast, and sugar to a large bowl. Mix well, then cover with a lid and set aside for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. Once foamy, stir in the salt and olive oil.
- Add the flour. Gradually add the flour to the yeast and stir until it comes together. Transfer the dough onto a floured kitchen surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. You can also do this in a stand mixer with the dough hooks attached.
- Rise the dough. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm spot. Let it rise for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
- Prepare to bake. Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough. Divide your dough into 2 equal parts, then roll out each piece into a 10×16-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the Italian herbs.
- Assemble the stromboli. Top each piece of the dough with pepperoni and sliced cheese, using 0.5lb of each per stromboli. Make sure to leave 1 inch of the dough border empty.
- Roll it up. Whisk the egg with water to make the egg wash. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Slowly roll the dough into a 16-inch-long log. Repeat with the second piece. Pinch down the dough seam and place the stromboli, seam side down, on the baking sheet.
- Score the top. Using a sharp knife, make a few cuts on the surface of the dough. Brush the stromboli with the egg wash on all sides.
- Bake. Transfer it to the oven and bake the stromboli for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool, then serve. Let the stromboli cool down for 5-8 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with warm pizza sauce or marinara.
Equipment
Notes
- Use warm but not hot water: Hot water kills the yeast.
- Rest the dough: If you have time, after rolling the dough into a rectangle, let it rest for 5 minutes before brushing it with the butter. This will allow the gluten to relax, making the dough more manageable to roll up.
- Seal the seams on the stromboli: This is important, or your cheese will ooze out.
- Swap the meat: Instead of pepperoni, you can use deli meat.
- Use shredded cheese: Shredded cheese can be used instead of cheese slices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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How to Make Homemade Stromboli
This recipe makes two good-sized stromboli. You’ll fill the rolled-out dough just like you’d fill an Italian porchetta or a Beef Wellington, before you roll it into a log and bake it. Here are the steps.
- Bloom the yeast. Mix the yeast and sugar with warm water. Cover the bowl and let the yeast bloom and get foamy for 5-10 minutes.
- Mix the dough. Stir in the salt and olive oil, and gradually mix in the flour. Once the dough comes together, knead it for 10 minutes so it’s smooth and stretchy. You can also do this in a mixer with the dough hook attachment.
- Let it rise. Cover the dough with a clean towel and leave it in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ hours, until it doubles in size.
- Flatten out the dough. When ready to bake, divide the dough in half. Roll each half out into a 10×16-inch rectangle. Brush the dough rectangles with melted butter and sprinkle the Italian herbs on top.
- Assemble. Arrange the pepperoni slices over the butter and herbs, then add the sliced cheese. Leave about an inch empty around the borders of the dough so you can seal it.
- Roll it up. Before you roll the stromboli, whisk an egg with water and brush it evenly over the edges of the dough. Then, roll the dough tightly around the filling, pinching along the seam to seal it, and repeat with the second stromboli.
- Bake. Using a sharp knife, make small cuts along the length of the dough logs. Lastly, brush the egg wash over the outside. Bake the stromboli on two lined baking sheets at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes. Let the stromboli cool for a few minutes before serving.
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store the leftover stromboli covered airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. It’s best to reheat stromboli in the oven so the dough gets crispy again. You can wrap it in foil first, or place it on a baking sheet and warm it at 350ºF until it’s hot throughout.
- Freeze. Wrap the stromboli in plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months, then defrost in the fridge before reheating.
