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"The Italian" Stromboli

Source of Recipe

From "Gatherings" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"There's just something awesome about an Italian grinder (sub), with its hearty combination of meats, cheeses, and bread. Here I take all the elements of that pickle-y, spicy, meaty-cheesy goodness, wrap it in some store-bought pizza dough, and bake it. And because I love a spinach and cheese calzone, I add some spinach too! Salami goes solo here for the meat, but feel free to include another cured meat if you'd like."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 20 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped pepperoncini or hot cherry peppers, plus 2 tablespoons brine
â—¦ 2 (1-pound) balls pizza dough, room temperature
â—¦ 8 ounces thinly sliced aged provolone cheese, divided
â—¦ 4 ounces thinly sliced salami, divided
â—¦ 8 ounces block mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
â—¦ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
â—¦ 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
â—¦ 2 cups store-bought marinara sauce, warmed


Recipe

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease foil. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and pepperoncini and brine and cook until heated through, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl.

Roll one dough ball into 12 by 10-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter with long side parallel to counter edge. Shingle 4 ounces provolone evenly over dough, leaving ½-inch border along top and sides. Layer 2 ounces salami over provolone. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and half of spinach mixture over salami.

Brush borders with beaten eggs. Fold bottom third of stromboli in toward middle. Fold top third of stromboli down to cover first fold, creating log. Pinch seam to seal. Transfer stromboli to one side of prepared sheet, seam side down. Pinch ends to seal and tuck underneath. Repeat with remaining dough ball, 4 ounces provolone, 2 ounces salami, 1 cup mozzarella, and spinach mixture; transfer to other side of sheet. (Assembled stromboli may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Or freeze until firm, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month.)

Brush tops of stromboli with remaining beaten eggs. Using sharp knife, make five evenly spaced ½-inch-deep slashes, 2 inches long, on top of each stromboli. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until crust is golden and center registers 200 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer stromboli to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and cut into 2-inch-thick slices. Serve with marinara sauce.

Makes two 11-inch stromboli;
Serves 6 to 8