Stromboli

Giorgio Celmo
Stromboli is a American dish reported to have originated in 1950’s in Essington, just outside of Philadelphia, at Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, by Nazzareno Romano. There, William Schofield supposedly gave it the name, after the movie Stromboli. . I ate my first Stromboli as a young man in Dearborn, Mi. at an Italian restaurant called Stromboli, now long gone. You can put whatever you like in a Stromboli; this is the way I like mine.

Ingredients “Dough”
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1-1/3 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Or you can buy pre made

Inside
1/2 Pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
½ cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 pound sliced ham Italian
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni or salami
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup grated provolone
2 cups grated mozzarella
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add oil, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos and cook, stirring, until very soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Spread mustard lengthwise down half of each rectangle; layer meats, pepper onion mixture, and cheeses. Fold plain half of dough over filling and seal ends well. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake at 400° 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool slightly; cut into 1-in. slices.