Stromboli

Stromboli Recipe that only takes 35 minutes?!  yes and yes! 

This Easy Stromboli Recipe (AKA rolled up pizza) is made with No Wait, No Rise Stromboli dough so now you can satisfy your pizza cravings in 35 minutes!   Its rolled with layers of marinara sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, ham, bell peppers and mushrooms for the ULTIMATE meat lovers stromboli but you can pick and choose any toppings you like for YOUR perfect stromboli recipe.  This stromboli is easy enough for a weekday meal, delicious enough to be the “must have” appetizer for Game Day or any gathering. 

This Stromboli Recipe is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®.  All opinions are my own.

slices of stromboli on a plate with pizza dipping sauce

What is stromboli?

Do you LOVE Stromboli?!  Is it too scandalous to admit I like stromboli even better than pizza?  After all, it’s basically a rolled up pizza so you have LAYERS of pizza in each cheesy, meaty, saucy, garlic, Parmesan crust mouthful.    They long cylinder is baked to golden perfection then sliced into individual rolls.

Patrick and I make stromboli at least once a month (super fun to make with couples too!) – stuffing our stromboli with whatever toppings we have on hand.  Be careful, its s slippery slope; first its pepperoni, next its pickles  (cheeseburger pizza anyone?).

Where did Stromboli Originate?

I want to thank whoever invented the glorious Stromboli.  Romano’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria claims to have invented the Stromboli in 1950 in town just outside of Philadelphia but others claim the Stromboli was invented by Mike Aquino, Sr., of Spokane, Wash.,  who named it after the 1954 movie Stromboli.  I guess we’ll never know the true source, but I’m grateful all the same!

top view of the Best Stromboli Recipe sliced into sections

What’s in a stromboli?

Traditional Stromboli is filled with mozzarella, cold cuts such as pepperoni, salami, capocollo and/or vegetables such as bell peppers and mushrooms.   Everything is layered on homemade pizza dough, followed by pizza sauce and then rolled up tightly then baked.  That being said, you can use whatever your heart desires for stromboli.

For this Stromboli recipe, I’ve used:

  • pizza sauce
  • mozzarella
  • hot Italian sausage
  • pepperoni
  • deli honey ham
  • chopped green bell peppers
  • sliced onions
  • mushrooms

For different variations, you can get creative and use Alfredo Sauce, BBQ Sauce, etc. and different toppings such as chicken, broccoli, etc.

showing toppings for Stromboli Recipe with pepperoni, sausage, ham, mozzarella, green bell peppers, mushrooms

What is the difference between a stromboli and a calzone?

Both calzones and stromboli are pizza derivatives, using different methods to create a sealed, portable pizza but they are NOT the same thing.  There is debate about the exact differences between a Stromboli and calzone, but essentially:

  • Stromboli is rolled up (like a burrito) vs calzones are a folded turnover in a crescent shape (like a taco)
  • Stromboli typically uses only mozzarella cheese due to its low moisture content needed for its structure vs. calzones use a variety of Italian cheeses, including ricotta
  • Stromboli contains sauce, meat and mozzarella and may or may not also be served with sauce vs calzones are usually sauceless, stuffed will meat, cheese and vegetables and served with sauce on the side (many restaurants now serve calzones with sauce inside, adding to the confutsion).
  • Stromboli has Italian meats on the inside vs calzones have cheese, meats and/or vegetables on the inside
  • Stromboli are sliced to create multiple servings vs calzones are generally single serving
  • Stromboli originated in America by Italian Americans vs calzones originated in Naples, Italy
front view of Easy Stromboli sliced into sections with one piece laying down

How do I make Stromboli dough?

When stromboli is on the mind, you don’t want to wait around for rising and more rising.  Never fear.  No waiting for rising dough is here.  This might be the discovery of the year.

Dr. Suessing aside,  Fleischmann’s® Pizza Yeast is almost too good to be true.  Almost.  Because it is true.  Fleischmann’s® Pizza Yeast allows you to almost instantly satisfy your stromboli cravings – you don’t even have to proof your yeast!  All you do is mix all the dough ingredients together at once, knead the dough for a couple minutes then roll the dough out which takes all but 5 minutes – and you are ready to top the dough and bake!

While I adore this shortcut, the dough is slightly thinner than traditional pizza dough but still fabulous.  You are also welcome to use my homemade pizza dough recipe, just be aware the recipe is for 2 pizzas, so you will want to half the recipe or make 2 stromboli!

How do I make a stromboli?

Stromboli is as easy as:

  1. Make dough
  2. Roll dough into a rectangle
  3. Top dough with desired toppings
  4. Roll dough up
  5. Bake
  6. Cool and slice

Now, let’s break down the steps into greater detail:

Step 1 – Make Stromboli Dough:  

Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil and mix together until well blended (you can do this by hand or with your mixer). Gradually add flour, mixing in ½ cup at a time, until dough forms a ball. Add additional flour, if needed to handle but dough should be slightly sticky. Spoon dough out of bowl onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic; about 4 minutes.

showing how to make stromboli by adding pizza dough to parchment paper

Step 2 –  Roll Stromboli:  

To make the Best Stromboli Recipe, you don’t need a pizza stone, just a large baking sheet that you line with parchment paper.  The parchment paper keeps the dough from sticking and from needing extra flour which will make for tougher dough.  Roll stromboli dough out into a large rectangle, about 10 by 14 inches on the parchment paper – it does not have to be perfect.

showing how to make Easy Stromboli Recipe by spreading pizza sauce over dough in a rectangle leaving a 2" border

Step 3 – Top Dough With Toppings:

Lightly spread sauce over the dough, leaving a 2 inch plain dough border along the edges.

  • Top sauce with half the grated cheeses:
showing how to make the Best Stromboli Recipe by adding mozzarella cheese on top of marinara sauce
  • After the cheese, add your meats – I added cooked Hot Italian Sausage followed by pepperoni…
showing how to make Stromboli by topping cheese with pepperoni and Italian sausage
  • And then honey ham.  Because I can.  I went a little crazy on my toppings so I could show you how to incorporate them all – or because I wanted to eat them all – but you can customize your stromboli with as many or as little toppings as you like.
showing how to make Stromboli by layering pepperoni with ham
  • Next, add your vegetables.  I added thinly sliced green peppers and thinly sliced onions that I sauteed together for 3 minutes and finished with thinly sliced uncooked mushrooms.  It is important to slice your mushrooms super thin so they don’t “sweat” and leave you with a soggy stromboli. Finally, the mountain of toppings is sprinkled with the remaining cheese.
showing how to make stromboli by layering ham with mushrooms, bell peppers and more mozzarella

Step 4 – Roll Up Stromboli:

  • Brush the plain border of dough with the egg wash (which is just a fancy name for beaten egg) –  this will help the dough seal.
showing how to make stromboli by spreading an egg wash over the edges
  • Roll up your stromboli lengthwise like a jelly roll, pinching in the sides, then brush the entire stromboli with the egg wash so it looks like an ugly, glistening, thinly veiled roll with protruding bulges.  Honestly, the first time I made stromboli, I was worried at this point, so I thought the questionable appearance was worth mentioning.  Also, the smoothness of your roll will depend on your toppings – and I always load mine with toppings.
showing how to make stromboli by rolling the dough up tightly
  • Sprinkle stromboli with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garlic salt, cut some slats to let steam esscape. Don’t worry at this point that your dough seems super thin, it will rise and beautify into soft pizza crust in the oven.
showing how to make stromboli by topping with more mozzarella cheese

Step 5 – Bake Stromboli

Bake stromboli at 425 degrees F until golden, and witness the ugly duckling transformation take place before your eyes.

showing how to make stromboli by cutting slits into the top and placing in the oven to bake

step 6 – Cool and Slice:

When your beautifully golden stromboli emerges from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes or so, then cut down the slats to create slices of rolled pizza perfection.  Then melty, meaty, cheesilicious stromboli is served!

HOW DO I MAKE PIZZA SAUCE?

To make a super quick and easy Pizza Sauce, I use the same trick I use in my Pizza Pinwheels recipe – simply add seasonings to store-bought marinara.  By adding a symphony of seasonings such as onion powder, dried basil, dried parsley, oregano garlic power and crushed red pepper to already prepared marinara, you get crazy good pizza sauce.  It is important that the pizza sauce be super flavorful because that is all the seasoning these stromboli is going to get.  I will caution to not add crushed red pepper flakes if you are using Hot Italian Sausage or your stromboli could be too spicy.

How long do I bake Stromboli?

Baking time can vary widely depending on the amount of toppings and content moisture of toppings/vegetables.  The more toppings, the longer the baking time. I baked my very stuffed stromboli for a total of 25 minutes but when I just use sauce, cheese and pepperoni, my stromboli is done in 15 minutes.

TIPS for the Best Stromboli Recipe

  • Don’t stress to much about the measurements:  We roll our dough into a rectangle, but you don’t have to stress about exact measurements or it being perfectly rectangle because making stromboli should be fun!
  • Leave a clean border around the dough:  When we spread the Pizza Sauce,  we want to take care to leave a 2″ border all around the dough so there is enough dough to seal once rolled up.  The toppings will naturally push forward as you roll the dough up, so this also helps you fit all your toppings in with a little extra leeway.
  • Roll tightly:  Starting from the long side closest towards you, tightly roll up the dough, pinching in any toppings that try to escape.  It takes a little patience to go from left to right rolling up the dough, but I promise, it is easy and it doesn’t have to be pretty!
  • Adjust toppings:  Adjust the amounts of toppings to meet your personal taste except for the marinara. Using more than ½ cup could mean soggy stromboli.
  • Cut your dough with a serrated knife.  A serrated knife works the best in cutting through all the layers.
the Best Stromboli Recipe with slices of Stromboli on a plate

HOW DO YOU REHEAT A STROMBOLI?

You can reheat sliced stromboli in the microwave at 30 second intervals but the crust will lose its crunch.  I prefer to reheat sliced stromboli in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes.

You can also reheat cooked, not sliced stromboli in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until fully warmed through.

CAN I FREEZE Stromboli?

Yes, this Stromboli freezes beautifully either sliced or whole. To freeze:

  1. Bake stromboli according to directions
  2. Let cool completely to room temperature.
  3. Either add individual stromboli slices to separate plastic bags and seal OR wrap entire stromboli several times in plastic wrap to seal.
  4. Freeze for up to 3 months.

WHAT SIDES Do I serve with STROMBOLI?

If servings stromboli for a meal, you can keep it super simple and serve with a big green salad and a side of fruit, or I love serving stromboli with wedge salad or roasted broccoli and perfect fruit salad.

If you are serving stromboli for Game Day, then its fabulous with Bacon Ranch Cheese BallBuffalo Chicken Wings, Queso Fundido, Jalapeno Popper Dip, Chipotle Chicken Empanadas and Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Stromboli Recipe


35 Minute No Wait – No Rise Stromboli.  Layers of pizza in your mouth in less than 35 minutes.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

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Stromboli Recipe

Stromboli Recipe in 35 Minutes! (AKA How to Make Rolled Pizza)

Stromboli Recipe that only takes 35 minutes?!  yes and yes! This Easy Stromboli Recipe (AKA rolled up pizza) is No Wait, No Rise Stromboli dough so now you can satisfy your pizza cravings in 35 minutes!  Easy enough for a weekday meal, delicious enough to be the “must have” appetizer at every gathering. 
Servings: 4 -6
Total Time: 30 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

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Ingredients

Stromboli Dough

  • 1 ¾ – 2 1/4 cups of flour
  • 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® Pizza Yeast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup of very warm water (120° to 130° F)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 egg, beaten (egg wash)

Toppings (all or a combo of the following)*

  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce II like garlic and onion marinara)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste**
  • 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 pound cooked Hot Italian sausage
  • 9-12 slices pepperoni
  • 6 slices deli honey ham
  • 1/2 small green bell pepper very thinly sliced, sauteed 3 minutes
  • 1/2 small onion very thinly sliced, sauteed 3 minutes
  • 1 cup very thinly sliced uncooked mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives

Garnish

  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Garlic salt
  • extra pizza sauce for dipping (optional)

Instructions

  • Stromboli Dough: Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil and mix together until well blended (you can do this by hand or with your mixer). Gradually add flour, mixing in ½ cup at a time, until dough forms a ball. Add additional flour, if needed to handle but dough should be slightly sticky. Spoon dough out of bowl onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic; about 4 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll stromboli dough out into a large rectangle, about 10 by 14 inches on the parchment paper.
  • Stromboli: Stir parsley, basil, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes to taste (do not use red pepper if you are using Hot Italian Sausage) into ½ cup marinara sauce and lightly spread sauce over the dough, leaving a 2 inch plain dough border along the edges. Top sauce with half the grated cheeses, followed by meats, then vegetables followed by remaining cheese.
  • Brush the plain border of dough with the egg wash. Roll up the Stromboli lengthwise like a jelly roll and pinch edges to seal. Brush the entire Stromboli with egg wash and gently cut slats in the top of the dough every 1-2 inches. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and lightly sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake for 15-25 minutes*** at 425F or until golden, covering with foil at the end of baking if necessary to prevent excess cheese browning.
  • Let cool 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with extra marinara sauce if desired.

Notes

*Adjust the amounts of toppings to meet your personal taste except for the marinara. Using more than ½ cup could mean soggy stromboli.
**Add to marinara sauce only if you aren’t using Hot Italian Sausage or it could be too spicy.
***Baking time can vary widely depending on the amount of toppings and content moisture of toppings/vegetables. The more toppings, the longer the baking time. I baked my very stuffed stromboli for a total of 25 minutes but when I just use sauce, cheese and pepperoni, my stromboli is done in 15 minutes.
 

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42 Comments

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much Jessica! Its so quick and easy that its hard not to make every night pizza night 🙂

    • Jen says

      I am excited for you to make stromboli Marissa! I think your whole family will love it!

    • Jen says

      Hi Malia, thanks for pinning! I hope you and your family love it!!

  1. Debbie says

    We dont have pizza yeast in Canada , how long would let the dough rise approx using rapid rise packets?

    • Marianne says

      I’m Canadian too. Rapid rise yeast only requires a 10-15 minute rise. I usually let my dough rest while I’m getting my toppings ready, and if you run overtime, no worry. Half hour rise is OK too.
      BTW, by now, I’m sure you have found Pizza Dough yeast. The Loblaws family of stores carries it.

  2. Tiffaynay says

    This was sooo good. My husband said and I quote “I’m so lucky to have you as my wife.” And I’m so lucky to have found your awesome website! Unfortunately I couldn’t find that type of yeast but I followed your Perfect homemade pizza crust recipe and that dough was amazing! Thanks so much!

    • Jen says

      Ah, what a sweet husband! And he is right :)! I am so happy you found my site as well! And I am glad you found and used my homemade pizza crust – I actually think that is better but just takes longer to make so when you are not in a time crunch – it is the way to go :)! I hope you find more recipes to love here!

  3. Therese says

    My family enjoyed another amazing recipe last night thanks to your amazing Stromboli recipe! What a fast and easy way to have homemade pizza ! I never do homemade pizza because it’s to time consuming. Not anymore! So this is a keeper!! We’ve tried several recipes now and we have not been disappointed:-) I don’t even read the comments anymore cause I KNOW the recipes are going to be Delish!!! 🙂 Keep them coming!

    • Jen says

      Hi Therese, I am thrilled your family loved the stromboli recipe and am so flattered you have made so many of my recipes with success – hearing that truly makes me so happy – thank you!!!

    • Beth says

      I have been browsing the recipes on this site after making and thoroughly enjoying the stromboli! 🙂

      • Jen says

        yay! so happy you enjoyed the strombili! I hope you find a lot more recipes to love here! thank you Beth!

  4. Beth says

    This was great! Mine only took 15 minutes but since it was my first time, I cooked an additional 6 minutes, which I will not do next time 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe! I was told this evening that I could make this any time.

  5. Amy says

    I just found this recipe and my boys would love it. Can you freeze it before you bake it? That way my boys can have fresh pizza on their own. Thanks

    • Jen says

      Hi Amy! I have never frozen them before but I don’t see why not! I think it might be better though to bake them and then freee them so when they are ready to eat you are just reheating – just my thoughts but please let me know what works for you! Enjoy!

  6. Katie says

    Another great recipes. Loved the dough, very easy! Grand kids loved! Only thing I had to leave out is the mushrooms. One grandson isn’t a fan…. but otherwise would have included them. Delicious!!!! Sure having fun trying your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.

    • Jen says

      Hi Katie, sorry for my delayed response as I am just getting back from Lake Powell without any service but thank you so much for your comment! What a fun meal to make with your grandkids! I am so happy everyone loved it and I love hearing you are having fun trying my recipes – thank you!!

  7. Genevieve Gravel says

    This my dear, was amazingly delicious and simple. I like both those things ! Thank you for the recipe, look forward to trying your other ones.

    • Jen says

      Hi Genevieve, yay for delicious and simple! I am so happy you enjoyed it, thank you! I hope you have fun trying some of my other recipes as well!!

  8. Carla says

    Jen,

    Delicious! Not hard to make at all!!. And it comes out so beautiful. I baked it on my pizza stone. I used ham, salami and mushrooms.
    Making your one pot cheese penne pasta and blueberry muffins tomorrow… I cannot wait!!!
    Very happy to find your site!!!!!

    • Jen says

      Hi Carla, your stromboli sounds delicious, has me craving some right now! So happy you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for making my recipes and I am enjoying your comments!

  9. Susie D says

    I have made this multiple times now and it’s always a hit! The dough is easy to work with and tastes delightfully yeasty. I did encounter doughy centers at times. Now I divide the dough in half and make two smaller ones. They bake in the allotted time beautifully. I’ve used almost all of the fillings at one time or another and it’s really hard to go wrong. Great recipe!

    • Jen says

      YAY! I am so happy this is on repeat at your house and thanks for the tip of dividing the dough in half! I am looking forward to trying that next time!

  10. Krizten Martin says

    This recipe was AMAZING. I have two very picky younger brothers who rarely will touch anything other than ramen noodles, and they ate more than half of the Stromboli by themselves! It was a snap to throw together, which I appreciate as a super busy nursing student. Thanks so much for the awesome recipes! I haven’t been disappointed in one yet!

    • Jen says

      Awesome Krizten! I am thrilled even your picky brothers devoured this recipe! And thanks for the ultimate compliment of “not being disappointed yet” – that means the world to me! Good luck in your schooling! I have had some of the best nurses and they truly make such a difference!

  11. Shannon Bryan says

    I love this recipe! I’m planning on printing and laminating it since I use it so often! Do you think the the dough could be made and frozen?

    • Jen says

      Hi Shannon, I am so happy this recipe is such a hit at your house! You should be able to freeze this dough. I would roll into a ball, lightly spray all sides of the dough ball with nonstick spray or lightly coat all sides with olive oil then place in a freezer size bag and seal well. To thaw, putt the frozen dough into the fridge overnight or for about 12 hours to thaw. Hope that helps!

  12. Sharleen says

    Can you use the Stromboli dough for a fast pizza dough as well.

  13. Sammi Harasymchuk says

    This was stupid good for how amazing this tasted!!!! I used the pizza yeast for the first time and wow! So quick and so easy! My fiance ate 3/4 of it himself and kept asking me how I made it! Thanks for the amazing recipes as always. You’re one of the few out there that I can feel confident that I won’t have to adjust anything as your flavours are always spot on! So thanks again for a wonderful recipe and keep them coming! I don’t always post when I make something of yours but I read every new post you do!

    • Jen says

      Thank you for your awesome comment Sammi! I’m honored you read all my posts and feel confident making my recipes – the ultimate compliment! I’m thrilled this stromboli was no exception! Thank you!

  14. Sheila says

    Can you use store bought pizza dough for this recipe?

    • Jen says

      Yes, that should work fine!

  15. Denise McAtee says

    I made this for dinner tonight. OMG, it was so delicious! I will definitely make it again. It came out perfect, My husband loved it!

    • Jen says

      I’m so pleased it was a winner and will be on repeat, thanks Denise!

  16. Monique Cox says

    This is our family’s favorite. We make it all the time. It does seem to take me a lot longer than 30 min. What is the nutritional information for this recipe?

  17. Sandra says

    Excellent. Very easy to make, a nice change from pizza. Will be making again.

    • Jen says

      Thanks Sandra, I’m so pleased it will be on repeat!

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