Stromboli!

Stromboli is an Italian food, sort of like a calzone only it's rolled instead of folded over.  It's full of meats and cheeses and baked to a golden brown.  Absolutely delicious!  If you've never heard of it, don't worry, neither had I.  Until my Old-School Italian Husband brought me to Brooklyn for the first time, I had no idea what Stromboli was.  I thought it was just the name of the puppeteer in Pinocchio.  

But, once I tried it (at a tiny little Pizzeria) I fell in love!  So, every time we went back to New York to visit the family, I had to have some.  The last time we were there, we were so busy that I didn't have time to get my Stromboli fix (whatever will I do?!).  So, I decided to make it myself.  It was surprisingly easy!  Too easy!  Now, I'll want to make it all the time.  Which means I'll want to eat it all the time.  Not a good idea if you're watching your waist (or cholesterol).  But a little bit won't hurt, right?  Famous last words.

Here's how I did it:

STROMBOLI

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (like Pillsbury or you could make your own if you're really ambitious)
a little cornmeal or flour (for rolling out the dough)
about 24 slices of pepperoni
6 slices provolone cheese (from the deli or packaged - you could use mozzarella)
6 slices prosciutto (or you could use Italian hot ham)
8 slices Genoa salami
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Marinara sauce for dipping, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using cornmeal or flour, dust your work surface and roll out the pizza dough.  You just want it to be a little bigger than it was when it came out of the tube.  Transfer the dough to a large cookie sheet or pizza stone.  

Starting at the long end, lay out the pepperoni all the way across.  Top the pepperoni with the provolone cheese.  Then the prosciutto, then the salami.  It should look like this:

Working from the end with the filling, roll the dough.  Continue rolling (somewhat tightly) until the dough is totally rolled up.  It should be about the size of a baguette or a loaf of Italian bread when it's all rolled up.

Make sure the Stromboli is seam-side down.  Then, cut 4 small slits in the top of the dough.  Some of the cornmeal (or flour) you used to roll it out will be on the dough, that's o.k.  Here's what it should look like:

Next, in a small bowl, mix together the sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, basil and Parmesan cheese.  Brush the top and sides of the dough with olive oil, then sprinkle on the sesame seed mixture.  Gently press it into the dough as you sprinkle it on.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, like this:

Let it cool slightly before cutting into pieces.  Serve with marinara sauce for dipping, if desired.

This stuff is so good!  It's salty and cheesy and just wonderful.  You gotta try it!  But be forewarned, you may become a Stromboli addict, like me.  That's o.k.  We can start a support group or something.