Quick and Easy Stromboli

Mother Day this year was a phone call and a care package I mailed last week, which arrived on time for once — Patty mentioned it twice on Sunday, which is high praise from someone who would have said nothing if something went wrong. Inside was an Aldi gift card, a jar of good olive oil from the fancy grocery I cannot really afford, and a card that took me three tries to write because every draft sounded either too sentimental or not enough. I landed somewhere in the middle. She said it was perfect. I think she meant the olive oil.

I have been monitoring the flour situation closely. Aldi is still out of all-purpose. Jewel had a limit of one bag per customer. I found a ten-pound bag of bread flour at a restaurant supply store near Midway that is selling to the public now, which felt like a genuine discovery. Bread flour in a bread recipe makes a real difference — more gluten, better crust, chewier interior. Ryan and I made our second loaf and it was noticeably better than the first. He is getting attached to the process. He has opinions about scoring now.

The school year is technically winding down, which is a strange phrase to apply to this semester. What it really means is: the mandated instruction time is ending, the IEPs are due, the transition plans need to be written. I have been working twelve-hour days to make sure every kid has documentation of what they achieved this year and what they need next fall. Even remotely, even imperfectly, my students worked hard. That goes in the record. That matters.

The blog post this week was the no-knead bread with bread flour, dedicated to Ryan because he has become genuinely good at it. He read it and said I made him sound like a bread influencer. I said there are worse things to be. He said he would like to not be any kind of influencer. Fair enough. The recipe stands regardless.

After two loaves of no-knead bread and a son who now has opinions about scoring, it felt right to do something with dough that he could call his own project rather than my blog post. Stromboli is bread confidence applied to dinner—same patient logic, same satisfying result, but you fill it and roll it and it feeds both of you without rationing slices. Given how many twelve-hour days this week looked like, I needed something I could hand off to Ryan with minimal instruction and still trust the outcome.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb refrigerated or homemade pizza dough (bread flour dough works beautifully here)
1/2 cup pizza sauce or marinara, plus more for dipping
6 oz sliced deli salami or pepperoni
4 oz sliced deli ham
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone or Italian blend cheese
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of flaky salt or sesame seeds for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 by 16 inches. If it springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again—it will relax.
Layer the fillings. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Layer the salami and ham over the sauce, then scatter both cheeses on top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
Roll and seal. Starting from one long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam firmly to seal, then tuck and pinch the ends closed. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Finish and score. Brush the top and sides of the stromboli with beaten egg. Drizzle or brush lightly with olive oil. Using a sharp knife or bread lame, cut 4 to 5 diagonal slits across the top to allow steam to escape. Add a pinch of flaky salt if desired.
Bake. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and cooked through. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
Rest and slice. Let the stromboli rest for 5 minutes before slicing—this keeps the cheese from running out entirely. Slice into 6 portions and serve with warm marinara for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Quick and Easy Stromboli — When the Bread Baker Wants Something He Can Hold