posts may contain Amazon affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you buy (but doesn't cost you anything extra). Occasionally I receive free products and/or run sponsored posts—this will always be stated clearly in the post. Thank you for supporting this blog.

This website contains some quotations, excerpts, and screen clips from copyrighted material. These uses fall well within the copyright doctrine of "Fair Use".
Friday, May 20, 2011

revisiting STROMBOLI (...always a welcome visit!)

I was thrilled when Elle from Feeding my Enthusiams asked me if I'd mind if the Bread Baking Babes baked up "my" Stromboli this month.  Bake away, babes!  And this gave me a fantastic excuse reason to bake up another loaf for myself the family.  Not that this loaf needs a reason, per se...but you know how the stack of things to-try builds up and sometimes your favorites get forgotten for a while.  Fortunately, distance makes the heart grow fonder.  For step-by-step photos of the process (well, kinda...more so than this post), check out my original Stromboli post. I switched up the meats and cheeses a bit this time round...half and half prosciutto and salami and a mix of both smoked provolone and smoked mozzarella.  PLUS, I added some sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil or liquid...although I'm sure they would be fine if you wiped them off a bit first) that I sliced up; those added a great little punch to each bite.  That's what is so fantastic about stromboli...it has the potential to be a different loaf every time if you change-up the fillings.

While at first glance this bread looks gorgeous and detailed...it is actually very simple and pretty darn quick to make.  Only one short rise of the dough...plus a couple of ten minute rests...and a rolls and poke and you send it into the oven.  Be sure not to skip the "poking" step, this gives a place for the steam to escape so that your bread doesn't end up soggy and blown-out.  One hour seems like a long time to bake, but it ensures that everything will be hot and melty throughout...and a beautiful, thick crust will form.  (Start checking it after about 50 minutes if you really start to fret.)  While the hardest part is probably waiting to slice into it, do try to hold off for at least a half an hour or so...this will help the bread to compact a bit and hold together...so that you get a clean slice.
Stromboli
same dough (different fillings) as my 
first adaptation from Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno
makes 1 loaf

2 tsp. instant or rapid rise yeast
1¼ c. water
3½ c. unbleached flour
1½ tsp. salt
3 Tbs. olive oil

for the filling:
8 oz. smoked Provolone, sliced thin or shredded
2 oz. smoked mozzarella, sliced thin or shredded
3 cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
4 oz. Prosciutto, sliced thin
4 oz. Salami, sliced thin
handful of fresh basil leaves
handful of sundried tomatoes, sliced thin

for topping:
olive oil
coarse sea salt
a couple fresh sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked from stems
freshly ground black pepper
Sprinkle yeast into 1 c. of the water, in small bowl.  Leave for 5 minutes to then stir to dissolve.

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in center and pour in dissolved yeast and the oil.  Mix in flour from sides of well.  Stir in reserved water, as needed, to form a soft, sticky dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth, silky, and elastic...~10 mins.  This may seem like a long time to knead, but it really benefits the texture.

Pour dough in a clean, oiled bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel.  Let rise until doubled in size, anywhere from 1-2 hours...mine only took about an hour to double this time (I used rapid rise yeast- probably a factor)...so watch it!  Punch down and chafe* for a few minutes minutes.    The texture of the dough is so gorgeously soft and pillowy now.  Enjoy it!  Lightly cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Turn your oven to 400° F to preheat.

Shape into a 14" x 8" rectangle, stretching with your hands and fingers.  Cover w/ clean towel and let rest another 10 minutes.

Spread your fillings evenly over dough.  Roll up the dough like a swiss roll, starting at one of the shorter sides, but without rolling too tightly.  Place on oiled baking sheet.  Use a skewer or a carving fork to pierce several holes through the dough to the baking sheet.

Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with some salt, and rosemary leaves, then grind some pepper over the whole thing and give it another drizzle of olive oil.  Bake in preheated oven for ~50-60 minutes, until golden.  Cool for a bit on a wire rack.  Once you've waited as long as you possibly can...

Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, slice, and devour!
Thanks for bringing my old friend Stromboli back for a visit this month, Elle...unfortunately it seemed to vanish far too quickly.  I need to convince him to stay longer than 10 hours next visit....

sharing this post with:
*Bread Baking Buddies (in conjunction with Bread Baking Babes).  This month's bread, Stromboli was chosen/hosted by babe Elle from Feeding my Enthusiasms(Check out the roundup here.)
*Yeastspotting!
BYOB-badge fridaypotluck FCFButton freshfriday-1 foodfriday Foodie Friday Logo 2 foodiefridaylittlebrickranch food trip friday fwff

Would you like to comment?

  1. I love stromboli! I just had one last weekend at a friend's house :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have never made stromboli but holy cow, how could it NOT be good!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think my husband could probably eat this whole loaf himself....ha ha! He can destroy some stromboli. It looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My family would love this-I'm thinking that I may ahve to use already prepared bread dough. I think that would work too.

    Looks awesome!

    Velva

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am also speachless! This looks soooo tasty it is untrue. I am going to have to make it this weekend.. there goes my diet plans.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i love stromboli! It's a family favorite at our house! I am going to try your recipe for sure :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh boy these are packed with ueber tasty goodness. What a great weekend picnic eat.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks incredible Heather. REALLY good! I've never made stromboli either but these pics make me want to drop everything and make it now. Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  9. wow...really tempting! i must try one real soon! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow you are quite talented in the kitchen and a good photographer. Stromboli is so delish. So glad I found you from Paisley Passions. I hope you'll swing by Momtrends and share on our Friday Food Linky!

    http://www.momtrends.com/2011/05/recipe-linky-summer-salads/

    ReplyDelete
  11. I haven't had stromboli in FOREVER but now I feel like I really need it in my life! All that gooey melty cheese...layer after layer.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Heather, my lovely friends. You never cease to inspire and amaze me. Thanks so much for bringing this delectable flavor-filled treat to Friday Potluck

    ReplyDelete
  13. Stromboli looks awesome, Love to try this as time permits.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Exquisito rollo bien sazonado es una delicia,preciosas fotografías,cariños y abrazos.

    ReplyDelete
  15. i haven't had dinner yet and suddenly nothing sounds better then stromboli. this turned out beautiful and looks SO good!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Que cosa tan rica, se ve fantastica.

    Saludos

    ReplyDelete
  17. I just was reminded of how much I love stromboli! Yours is perfect. Thanks fo the nudge.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Beautiful darling! Thanks so much for being our muse this month!

    ReplyDelete
  19. It looks just as wonderful. And how brilliant are you to dip it into salsa?

    I think we neeeeeed to make your stromboli again this weekend. (We'll try to get it to last a little longer but I'm not holding out a lot of hope.)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your stromboli looks perfect, and I love the fillings you used this time around! Thanks for linking this up to Fat Camp Friday! Hope to see you next week!

    ReplyDelete
  21. its been a while since I have made this but I can tell you my teens love it come see me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sure wish I had a slice of this right now. I love to slice my stromboli, then crisp up both sides so it's toasty. Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow, this stomboli looks and sounds amazing! I love smoked cheese and can't wait to try your recipe!

    Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day.

    Amy
    http://utry.it

    ReplyDelete
  24. Fantastic looking stomboli...would love to try a vegetarian version for myself. Think I would get shot, lol

    ReplyDelete
  25. Alisha...ha ha ha ha! No, I can just imagine a veggie version laced with cheese and basil and roasted red peppers...maybe some onions and garlic...oh yeah!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh my goodnesssss yum! For those of us with little patience--could store-bought pizza dough be used?

    ReplyDelete
  27. ~Bee...you never know until you try! Although, this is one of the easiest doughs ever, not much patience required! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  28. This looks insanely good right now!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mmmm I love Stromboli -- yours looks scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  30. THHHHAAAAANNNKKKSSSS A LOT. yeesh. i was about to go to sleep and now i'm hungry. prob is i can't make stromboli at 11:30 at night!! lol

    ReplyDelete
  31. Gorgeous--so gooey and cheesy and good! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. that looks really delicious...i never had one and i am looking forward to taste it someday, well, hope its available here in phnom penh because i am not sure if i can do it, :) thanks for sharing your recipe and great shots. visiting late from FTF, sorry! have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Heather, sharing this yummy dish on my Wednesday post, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  34. ;-) As Natashya said: Thanks for being our muse this month! My husband is wild for this especially as toast!
    Yours is gorgeous and would be making me want to make it again ... except I just did and we still have about 6 slices yet to go;-)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Lol, I got the sundried tomatoes and then forgot to put them in. Ah well, maybe next time. Though I am eating a toasted piece for breakfast as we speak! Your last dipped picture is perfect - exactly the way my hubby wants it next time. ☺

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love the savory swirls, and the crunchy sea salt on top looks great! The sun-dried tomatoes and smoked cheeses are calling my name.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks Heather for this stromboli. Making it was fun and eating it delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Heather, your stromboli is again one of the most gorgeous. Thanks for the inspiration and for baking it again...love your enthusiasm.

    ReplyDelete