Stromboli

As more and more people like to have parties with continuous appetizers, making Stromboli is always a favorite of mine. I have tried to buy them at a deli in a pinch and I always regret it because I feel as if the ingredients are spared and most of the time, my friends or family will make a note that they prefer mine.

I enjoy making Stromboli and planning ingredients. Here are some types that I have made:

. spinach and ricotta (or mozzarella or both)

. broccoli with ricotta (or mozzarella or both)

. sausage and peppers

. ham and American (or cheddar) cheese

. salami and provolone

. pepperoni and mozzarella

. sopresata and provolone or fontina

. turkey and swiss cheese (or American/Muenster if you prefer)

. meatballs parmigiana

. chicken cutlet with mozzarella and peppers

So basically, you choose which kind of Stromboli you make. The directions for putting it together is the same with different ingredients. Feel free to come up with your combinations.

First, you need to buy pizza dough at the grocery or specialty store. One bag should be purchased for each Stromboli you will make. I usually make one Stromboli for each 5-6 people I will be serving and if not a lot of other appetizers will just make two anyway.

After buying the dough (refrigerate until you are ready), carefully unpack each one and put each on a separate cutting board or plate with one tablespoon of flour on top. Spread the flour around the top nicely and then cover with a kitchen towel or paper towels so that they will be able to rise. Let them stay this way for at least one hour. The longer you leave the dough, the more it will rise.

When you are ready to start preparing, plan to make one at a time and very carefully. Prepare an egg wash using one or two eggs and whisking them in a small bowl. This will be used on Stromboli to add taste.

Using a bigger cutting board and a rolling pin roll the dough out so that it looks like a big square. Keep rolling until the dough is thin enough (not too thin) to be rolled up. Using a basting brush, gently put some egg wash lightly over the dough. In the middle of the square, place whatever ingredients you want to add leaving room on top and bottom. After adding ingredients, gently roll dough over it so that it looks like a bread. You will know it’s right when ingredients are inside and it looks like a long loaf ready to be cooked. Take your time rolling it nicely so that ingredients don’t spill out when baking. You can touch around dough and make sure it is secure in all areas.

Once your Stromboli looks ready to cook, brush the egg wash on top of it before placing on a cookie sheet to bake. I usually put some non-stick spray on sheet to avoid the dough sticking.

Bake Stromboli at 375 for about 30 minutes. Check at 30 minutes and leave longer if you would like to make it browner. This is all personal taste.

This weekend I decided to be daring and bought whole wheat dough from the supermarket. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make my salami combination Stromboli just a bit healthier. It was delicious and actually tasted like a rye bread. In fact, I plan to look for other variations when I make them next time.

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