The best Italian American portable calzone. This recipe is a gift from my dear friend Sue Cronin, a real Italian Queen in the kitchen, who taught me how to make these in our North End apartment in the fall of 2006. My older girls were so little they used play-dough scissors to cut the pizza dough. Thank you Sue, for this recipe, which is truly more a method than anything else – it has been a favorite ever since!
This picture doesn’t do the scene justice – Sue came into our apartment with plastic bags of her homemade dough, and all of her Italian secrets in her head. She made risotto, Stromboli’s, and truly inspired me. I think I need another visit from Sue, but for now, here’s a treat for everyone from her!
The whole idea of this recipe is simplicity at it’s finest, which perfectly suits the Italian approach to cooking. You can fill the dough with anything you desire – I’ve put in two of our favorite versions into this post, but honestly could have done 6! Another favorite is using leftover chicken parmesan, and honestly this dish would make for an incredible filling – https://walestable.com/slow-cooker-chicken-parm/. Regardless, get creative and have fun with this – use up whatever you have and make a great Saturday picnic out of it.
See the green play dough scissors!? Lucy is the tiny one holding on from behind, and the next picture is her today… She’s been helping with the blog for her senior project, along with her buddies Carlin and Sydney…
Stromboli's
The Ultimate Italian American portable Calzone
Ingredients
Italian Cold Cut Stromboli
- 1 lb pizza dough (I use store-bought usually)
- 2 Tbsp flour, for dusting the rolling out surface
- 2 tsp olive oil for greasing the bowl
- 6 slices good provolone
- 12 slices deli-style Italian ham
- 12 slices deli-style pepperoni (this is MUCH bigger than regular - if you are using small slices you'll probably need about 24)
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella (NOT FRESH)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 egg
- 1-2 Tbsp sesame seeds, or bagel seasoning for topping the dough
Sausage, Pepper & Onion Stromboli
- 1 lb pizza dough
- 2 Tbsp flour, for dusting the rolling surface
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 6 slices good provolone
- 1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 2 bell peppers - any color
- 1 large yellow onion
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella (NOT FRESH)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 egg
- 1-2 Tbsp sesame seeds or bagel seasoning for topping the dough
Instructions
Italian Cold Cuts Stromboli
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and arrange a rack dead center in the oven. I recommend having the oven come to this temp for at least 30 minutes before baking the Stromboli's. It makes a difference in the heating power.
- Line a baking sheet (18" x 12") with parchment paper.
- If using store-bought dough, bring it to room temperature several hours before making the Stromboli's. This will make the dough pliable and much easier to work with. I remove dough from it's packaging, and place in a large glass bowl coated with the olive oil, then cover with a damp towel and place in a warm spot on the counter for at least 2 hours. You'll see the dough rise significantly.
- When ready to go, dust your counter with flour, and place the risen dough on it, flipping to coat both sides. I use my hands to gently warm the dough and stretch it before using a rolling pin. You want to create an oblong rectangle, vs. a circle for this. It really helps to try to create the shape with your warm hands, before using a rolling pin. When rolling it out, use a back and forth motion, starting from the center of the dough. If it's warm enough, it should stretch out fairly easily. If you find it snapping back on you, try using warm hands to make it stretch better. Ideally, you want it the length and width of a large baking sheet (18" x 12") before adding toppings.
- Leaving a 3 inch border (see photo's in blog post) all around of open dough, lay the provolone slices down the center of the dough. This will form the base of the stromboli. Next lay down the ham, covering the cheese. The next layer will be the pepperoni, and finally the shredded mozzarella. Finish this with a dusting of dried oregano and red pepper flakes.
- Using scissors, cut the dough on both of the long sides into 2 inch sections, stopping just before the toppings in the middle. You are going to use these strips to create a pattern of meeting from both sides, pulling the stromboli together, while leaving slivers of the filling to bake uncovered in between. Think of it as a set of stripes down the stromboli.
- Beat the egg with 2 tsp water, and using a pastry brush, cover the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with sesame seeds or bagel seasoning, if you wish. Toss in the oven, and bake for 14 minutes exactly. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly before slicing. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.
Sausage, Pepper and Onion Stromboli
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and arrange a rack dead center in the oven. I recommend having the oven come to this temp for at least 30 minutes before baking the Stromboli's. It makes a difference in the heating power.
- Line a baking sheet (18" x 12") with parchment paper.
- If using store-bought dough, bring it to room temperature several hours before making the Stromboli's. This will make the dough pliable and much easier to work with. I remove dough from it's packaging, and place in a large glass bowl coated with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then cover with a damp towel and place in a warm spot on the counter for at least 2 hours. You'll see the dough rise significantly.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking up into crumbles as it cooks. When the sausage is no longer pink, add the peppers and onions to the pan, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat to cool a bit before assembly.
- When ready to go, dust your counter with flour, and place the risen dough on it, flipping to coat both sides. I use my hands to gently warm the dough and stretch it before using a rolling pin. You want to create an oblong rectangle, vs. a circle for this. It really helps to try to create the shape with your warm hands, before using a rolling pin. When rolling it out, use a back and forth motion, starting from the center of the dough. If it's warm enough, it should stretch out fairly easily. If you find it snapping back on you, try using warm hands to make it stretch better. Ideally, you want it the length and width of a large baking sheet (18" x 12") before adding toppings.
- Leaving a 3 inch border (see photo's in blog post) all around of open dough, lay the provolone slices down the center of the dough. This will form the base of the stromboli. Next lay down the cooked sausage, peppers, and onions, and finally the shredded mozzarella. Finish this with a dusting of dried oregano and red pepper flakes.
- Using scissors, cut the dough on both of the long sides into 2 inch sections, stopping just before the toppings in the middle. You are going to use these strips to create a pattern of meeting from both sides, pulling the stromboli together, while leaving slivers of the filling to bake uncovered in between. Think of it as a set of stripes down the stromboli.
- Beat the egg with 2 tsp water, and using a pastry brush, cover the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with sesame seeds or bagel seasoning, if you wish. Toss in the oven, and bake for 14 minutes exactly. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly before slicing. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.
Notes
This recipe is more of a method than an exact set of instructions - you can fill the dough with anything you want; just veggies, leftover chicken parmesan, etc.. The only rule is to stick to ingredients that aren't too high in water content (no fresh mozzarella, and use roasted or cooked veggies instead of raw) to avoid a soggy mess. This recipe is a gift from my dear friend Sue Cronin, who taught me the art of the Stromboli in my North End apartment in the fall of 2006, along with my two oldest daughters, who, at the time, used play-dough scissors to cut their versions. Thank you Sue!
