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Skip the takeout and make Homemade Italian Stromboli at home, the Philly-style “Italian hoagie, but baked” version stuffed with classic deli meats and melty cheese. It looks impressive, but it’s super easy: roll out pizza dough, layer, roll, egg-wash, bake, and slice. (The best part? You can swap in whatever meats/cheeses you love.)
My biggest tip: don’t put sauce inside. Keep it crisp by baking the stromboli without sauce, then serve warm pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
Stromboli At a glance
- Sauce: on the side (keeps crust crisp)
- Total time: 35 minutes (10 prep / 25 bake)
- Oven temp: 425°F
- Serves: 8
- Make-ahead: assemble up to 24 hours ahead
This stromboli is ready in about 35 minutes, feeds a crowd, and can even be assembled ahead of time for busy nights or game day.
If you want to impress the pants off anyone, make a homemade Stromboli. I don’t know why everyone thinks they’re hard to make but there super duper easy and the results are nothing short of amazing.
Plus, when you make this easy Stromboli recipe at home, you can fill it with whatever you want. It’s not that difficult to do, but our favorite is a traditional Italian Stromboli filled with all the same things you’d find in an Italian Hoagie. And in our neck of the woods (Philly, Philly,), you can order your Italian Hoagie as a grinder….which is just an open faced Italian Stromboli that’s been baked, basically.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough – Store-bought pizza dough makes this a breeze to whip up but using your own pizza dough elevates this to an epic Italian restaurant worthy meal.
- Meats – We use Spicy Pepperoni, Capicola and Genoa Salami for a classic Italian flavor but you can substitute with any of your favorite deli meats.
- Cheese – A mix of Italian cheeses makes the Stromboli extra decadent. We use provolone cheese and mozzarella cheese for a sharp, cheesy flavor.
- Seasoning – A blend of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese and pizza seasoning is sprinkled on top for a flavorful crust.
- Sauce – Homemade pizza sauce is served on the side for dipping.
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
What is Stromboli?
A Stromboli is, basically, a large turnover stuffed with savory fillings inside a fresh pizza dough that’s rolled up and baked until golden.
You can use either Italian bread dough or pizza dough, which is what we use for this recipe because it’s easy to whip up or buy at the store.
Stromboli was invented by Italian-Americans in the United States in Philadelphia….and that’s why there so amazing. Philadelphians invent the best things….HELLO Philly cheesesteak!
How To Make Stromboli
If you’ve ever wanted to know how to make Stromboli from scratch, you’ll be happy to know….it’s crazy easy to do! My best tip is to be sure your ingredients are room temperature before assembling. This ensures the Stromboli will be cooked all the way though at the end of baking.
- Make the dough. (or you can use store-bought dough from the grocery store, but my homemade pizza dough recipe is insanely easy!)
- Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface the size of a large baking sheet.
- Layer the cheese and meat on over the pizza dough leaving a 1/2 inch area around the edge to seal.
- Season with garlic powder and Pizza Seasoning.
- Roll up lengthwise starting on one of the long sides and fold the ends inward as you roll.
- Seal the dough by brushing the edge of the dough with warm water and pressing the edge of the dough onto the outside of the Stromboli.
- Arrange on the cookie sheet seam side down. (You can coat the baking sheet with cornmeal to prevent sticking or line with parchment paper.)
- Brush the top and sides with egg wash.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and pizza seasoning on top of the Stromboli.
- Bake until golden brown and puffed.
- Rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing inch 2 inch wide slices with a sharp knife.
- Serve!
2 Ways to Make This Stromboli (fresh dough or refrigerated dough)
This recipe works great with homemade pizza dough, fresh store-bought dough, or even refrigerated dough – so you can choose “best texture” or “fastest dinner.”
Option 1: Fresh (or thawed frozen) pizza dough – best texture (my favorite method)
- Use: 1 1/2 lb pizza dough, room temperature
- Oven: 425°F
- Bake time: 20-25 minutes
Quick steps (summary):
Roll dough to about 13×9 inches, layer fillings, roll jelly-roll style, seal, egg wash, season, then bake until deep golden.
Pro tip for crispness: Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan (instead of spraying) for better texture + sticking prevention.
Option 2: Refrigerated pizza dough – fastest weeknight version
This is the “30-minute dinner” approach I’ll use when time is tight.
- Use: 1 refrigerated pizza dough (thin crust style works well)
- Oven: 400°F
- Bake time: 15-20 minutes
How to assemble (best results):
- Line a sheet pan with parchment or silicone baking mat for easy cleanup).
- Stretch dough into a rectangle.
- Layer meat first (helps prevent sogginess), then cheese.
- Roll, seal, place seam-side down, egg wash, cut a few slits, season, bake.
Sauce note: Serve sauce on the side so the crust stays crisp.
(If someone insists on sauce inside, keep it very thin and leave a wider border so it seals well.)
Calzone vs. Stromboli
While a Stromboli is definitely similar to a calzone, they are not the same thing.
A calzone is, in a nutshell, a pizza folded in half and sealed along the edges. A Stromboli is rolled up like a burrito and then sealed.
Both can have the same type of fillings but, most commonly, calzones are filled with mostly cheese and sometimes vegetables. Stromboli, most often, contains some type of meat and cheese.
Kellie’s Tips for the Best Stromboli
To ensure you have a perfect authentic Italian Stromboli every time, follow these easy tips.
- Make it Meatier – Brown ground beef or Italian sausage and add it to the filling before the cheese layer.
- No Sauce – Well, inside at least. Don’t put sauce inside your Stromboli or you’ll end up with a soggy crust. For sure serve your Stromboli with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
- Baking – To ensure your Stromboli is perfectly baked all the way through, bake it on the bottom half of your oven. This will the inside and outside will bake at the same rate.
- Filling – Don’t overfill your dough so it doesn’t seep out during the baking process.
- Cutting – Don’t forget to allow your Stromboli to rest before cutting to allow the filling to set. Also, use a serrated knife to slice for best results.
- Prep ahead – You can assemble the Stromboli up to 24 hours in advance and bake right before serving making this a great option for busy weeknights!
- Make it spicy – Add hot red peppers or crushed red pepper flakes to the filling.
Stromboli Variations
While this recipe is for an authentic Italian Stromboli recipe, you can make your own variations to fit your family’s needs.
- Vegetables – Raw or roasted, chopped veggies like broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, spinach and asparagus are fun alternatives to the meat/cheese option.
- Meat – Chicken, shredded pork, sliced leftover steak, bacon all are great options.
- Cheese – We used provolone here but Swiss, blue cheese, mozzarella or American cheese work well, too. Don’t forget the cheddar!
- Dough – While this recipe is made with homemade pizza dough, frozen or fresh store bought dough works extremely well. And why not give sourdough a try, too!
How To Serve Stromboli
We like to serve our Stromboli with a side of Pizza Sauce for dipping and with a Loaded Iceberg Wedge Salad with blue cheese dressing.
You can also serve it with a pile of salty potato chips which makes it perfect for game day!
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Easy Stromboli Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour, for rolling
- 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough, room temperature
- 1/4 lb sliced pepperoni
- 1/4 lb sliced capicola
- 1/4 lb sliced salami
- 1/4 lb sliced provolone
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp pizza seasoning, divided
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1 cup pizza sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray OR sprinkle with cornmeal. The cornmeal prevents sticking and adds great texture to the stromboli once cooked. (Don't do both.)
- Lightly dust a work surface and roll the dough out to a large rectangle approximately 13×9 inches.
- Layer the pepperoni on the dough leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge. Layer the provolone over the pepperoni and then top with the capicola. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and top with the salami.
- Sprinkle with the garlic powder and 1 tsp of the Pizza Seasoning.
- Roll the stromboli up jelly roll style. Tuck the ends inward and continue rolling until the stromboli is sealed.
- Arrange the stromboli on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Brush the top and sides with the eggwash. Sprinkle with the remaining Pizza Seasoning and parmesan.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Rest the stromboli for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with sauce for dipping.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftover stromboli airtight for up to 3 days.
Reheat (best): Wrap slices in foil and warm at 350°F for 10 minutes to keep the crust crisp.
- Microwave: 30-second bursts until warm (softens the crust).
- Skillet: Warm slices over medium-low heat until heated through.
Freeze: Freeze baked slices (wrapped well) and reheat from thawed in a 350°F oven until hot.
Stromboli FAQ
Don’t overfill, keep wet ingredients well-drained, and skip sauce inside (serve it on the side).
Yes, assemble, wrap tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake.
Oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes (foil-wrapped works great).
Putting meat down first can help protect the dough from moisture.
Yes, bake around 400°F for 15-20 minutes (great shortcut).
Usually overfilling or not sealing well. Keep a clean border, seal firmly, and bake seam-side down.
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