Today is opening day of football season!! The fantasy football team is set, my roster is ready to win and now it’s time for some football food.
I’m a total cheater when it comes to making Stromboli. I tried measuring. I tried, y’all!. It didn’t work. I tried to measure for this recipe and it didn’t work. There are too many combinations that you can have fun with when you’re making Stromboli. Do you feel extra sausagey today or maybe you’re craving more mortadella? It’s strictly up to you. I also don’t try to roll my dough out into a rectangle. It always ends up looking like a kindergarten play-doh project gone wrong. Therefore, *gasp* I cut it. I roll it out and then cut it to be a straight edged rectangle. Don’t judge.
There are two different ways to make a Stromboli. The roll method, which is exactly what it sounds like. You lay all the ingredients out, covering all but 2inches of the dough and roll it over itself. Roll it tight, seal the edges and then slash the top to give you vent holes for the steam. This method gives you a perfect crust for flat meats and cheeses. Pepperoni and cheese, mortadella and pepperoni with mozzarella chunks, etc. This method cooks slightly longer because the dough is 3 – 4 layers thick when rolled on top of each other.
The second method is the braided crust. For this method, you only fill the center and braid the outer edges of dough into a braid over the top. This method is perfect for Stromboli that has small pieces that get dislodged if rolled – sausage, ricotta, olives, small pepperoni chunks, etc. This Stromboli crust will cook faster since there are only a top and bottom crust.
Now, we’ve talked Stromboli types – rolled vs braided, let’s talk sauce and cheese. It’s simple. It’s your choice. Lots of sauce, no sauce, lots of cheese, a little bit of cheese (if this is your choice, I just don’t even know you). You can play with these and make your tastebuds go crazy.
Have fun!
If you’re getting ready for a party, you can make your dough a couple of days in advance. If you’re like me, there are a couple in the freezer waiting to be defrosted right now. If you’ve frozen your dough, bring it to room temperature before trying to roll it out or prep for fillings.
Football. Bloody hell!!
Alex Ferguson
GOOD FOOD. GOOD FRIENDS. GOOD TIMES.
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Homemade Stromboli
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Ingredients
- 1 recipe for pizza dough
- 1 cup ricotta, drained
- 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and drained
- 10 slices of deli pepperoni
- 1 egg, beaten
- Asiago cheese, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a skillet, cook Italian sausage until it is no longer pink. Put in a bowl lined with paper towels and let drain. Drain ricotta cheese for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
- Spread dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll, then cut into a rectangle. Make diagonal cuts on the left third of the dough and on the right third of the dough, 1-inch wide, the entire length of the dough. This leaves the center third of dough ready for your filling.
- Spread large slices of pepperoni over the center third of the dough. Then spoon in ricotta and Italian sausage mixture on top of the pepperoni and spread.
- Fold slices of dough from left and right side into a braid. First left, then right, then left, continuing entire length of the Stromboli. When you get to the end, fold the excess braid underneath, so the Stromboli has a sealed end cap.
- Brush the dough with egg. Sprinkle asiago cheese and garlic salt over the top of the braid. Put in oven for 10-12 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5-8 minutes. Cut into 1-inch wide pieces and serve with homemade pizza sauce.
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