Family Favorites #1 - Stromboli

This is a recipe from my mom that I just loved growing up. There is not a person that I've made Stromboli for that didn't just love it, too :-)

Step 1: Let the frozen white bread dough rise (5-8 hours) (Rhodes brand is what I use). Make sure you spray the underside of the plastic wrap with Pam so that the bread doesn't stick to it. Be sure to cover the bread with plastic wrap very well, because if it gets dry, it will be hard to stretch later. One bread loaf = one Stromboli. I put out enough bread for 3 loaves, which feeds quite a few people!!!

Step 2: While the bread is rising, prep your favorite pizza toppings.

Step 3: Once the dough is fully risen, stretch it out on a pan. Beginner's Hint: don't spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray or the bread won't stretch out... I did this one time and the more I tried to stretch it out, the more it crawled back in. Try not to get holes in the dough like I did...it makes the Stromboli dry out, so patience here is a virtue.

Step 4: Go ahead and get the oven ready now... 350 degree preheat. On one half of the dough, alternate slices of mozzarella and provolone cheese. Beginner Tip: Don't forget to remove the paper in between the slices of cheese--been there, done that. I made a sandwich one day and thought wow, this meat sure is thick and fibery. I was half way through when I realized that there was paper backing on the cheese.

Step 5: Add your toppings sparingly. Too much sausage & pepperoni and it will be greasy. Too many veggies and it will be soggy.

Step 6: Add store bought pizza sauce in a jar...again, not too much or it will be watery.

Step 7: Close up the pizza by picking up the other half of the dough and flopping it over the toppings. Take the lower lip of the Stromboli and pull it up and over the top lip of the pizza and smash it down with your finger. If you have enough patients, you can line up the indentations and make it look pretty. I did not do this ;-) This step is actually pretty easy... Don't worry if you get holes in the Stromboli. It all goes to the same place when you eat it ;-)

Step 8: Finalize the top by poking holes with a fork in the top of the dough. Whisk up an egg and spread it over the top to give it a nice shiny glaze. OK, not too much egg, because you don't want scrambled eggs baked on top of your dough. Finally, add some Parmesan cheese on top. I used shredded, but the powdered stuff works just as well.

Step 9: If you need to transfer the stromboli, inch your hands underneath the loaf slowly until you are holding it like a baby (palms up). The layer of mozzarella & provolone cheese slices should give you a little stability, but be aware that your stromboli is made of fresh dough and can stretch out and rip. I don't think you have to spray nonstick cooking spray, but if you want to avoid a messy baked up pan, you can do that. So that is why you might want to transfer it to a new pan, since you followed the directions earlier and did not spray the pan before stretching out the dough.

Bake it for 30-40 minutes. The crust should be nice and golden brown. Be careful not to underbake it. Nothing is worse than a mouth full of raw bread dough. Now a mouth full of undercooked cookie dough is ok, but not here. Trust me...bake it long enough that you are sure it is done!

Well, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product...I guess I got a little excited when it was cooked, so I dug right in. Live & learn.

I paired this with a fresh salad. It was a spring mix of lettuce, mandarin oranges, mozzarella cheese, walnuts, and red onions. I topped my salad with a dressing made of 2Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2Tbsp honey, 2Tbsp Dijon mustard stirred together. To that, I added 2Tbsp olive oil...whisk it in very slowly so that it will actually mix and not settle out over time.

A-Mazing!!!