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Golden brown homemade stromboli sliced open on a wooden board with melted cheese, pepperoni, salami, ham, garlic butter crust, and marinara dipping sauce.
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Authentic Pizzeria-Style Stromboli

This authentic homemade stromboli features chewy pizza dough wrapped around layers of pepperoni, salami, ham, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, and Italian seasonings before being baked until crisp and golden brown. Finished with garlic butter and served with warm marinara sauce, this classic Italian-American stromboli is perfect for pizza night, game day, or an easy family dinner.
Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian-American
Keyword baked stromboli, cheesy stromboli, deli stromboli, easy stromboli recipe, game day recipe, homemade pizza roll, homemade stromboli, italian dinner recipe, italian stromboli, pepperoni pizza stromboli, pepperoni stromboli, pizza dough stromboli, pizza night recipe, salami stromboli, stromboli, stromboli recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Total Time 44 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 520kcal
Cost $16 for entire recipe

Equipment

  • Baking sheet, pizza stone, or pizza steel
  • Parchment paper
  • Rolling Pin
  • pastry brush
  • Serrated knife
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Pizza cutter or sharp knife
  • cooling rack (optional)

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 pound pizza dough made with bread flour room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornmeal

Filling

  • 3 tablespoons thick pizza sauce
  • 1 cup freshly shredded whole milk low-moisture mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup freshly shredded provolone cheese
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 12 pepperoni slices
  • 4 thin slices Genoa salami
  • 2 thin slices deli ham patted dry
  • 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Egg Wash

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Garlic Butter Finish

  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 small garlic clove finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
  • Tiny pinch salt

Instructions

Preheat Oven

  • Place a pizza stone, steel, or heavy baking sheet into the oven.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F for at least 20 minutes.
  • Lightly dust parchment paper with cornmeal.

Roll Dough

  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into approximately a 10x14-inch rectangle slightly under 1/4 inch thick.
  • Keep edges slightly thicker than center.

Add Filling

  • Spread pizza sauce very thinly across dough leaving a 1-inch border.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over sauce.
  • Add provolone evenly over mozzarella.
  • Layer pepperoni, salami, and ham evenly across cheese.
  • Sprinkle parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes evenly over filling.

Roll Stromboli

  • Starting from the long side, roll dough tightly into a log while gently tucking filling inward.
  • Pinch seam tightly closed.
  • Tuck ends underneath slightly.
  • Transfer seam-side down onto prepared parchment paper.

Egg Wash & Vent

  • Whisk together egg and water.
  • Brush evenly over entire stromboli.
  • Cut 4 small diagonal slits across top for steam vents.
  • Optional: sprinkle lightly with extra parmesan cheese.

Bake

  • Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until deep golden brown and fully baked through.
  • Rotate halfway through baking if needed.
  • If top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during final few minutes.

Garlic Butter Finish

  • Mix melted butter, garlic, parsley, and salt.
  • Brush over hot stromboli immediately after baking.

Rest & Slice

  • Allow stromboli to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
  • Slice with a serrated knife and serve with warm marinara sauce.

Notes

  • Whole milk low-moisture mozzarella cheese works best for stromboli because it melts smoothly without releasing excess moisture. Fresh mozzarella may make the filling watery and soften the crust.
  • Bread flour pizza dough creates the best chewy pizzeria-style texture. Store-bought dough works well, but allow it to fully come to room temperature before rolling to prevent shrinking and tearing.
  • Pat the deli ham dry with paper towels before layering into the stromboli. Removing excess moisture helps prevent soggy filling and improves the final texture.
  • Do not overload the stromboli with extra sauce or cheese. Traditional Italian-American stromboli should have structured layers and a crisp crust rather than a wet pizza-style center.
  • Rolling the stromboli tightly helps create clean spiral layers and prevents large air pockets inside the loaf.
  • Steam vents are important because they allow trapped heat to escape during baking and help prevent the stromboli from splitting open.
  • A preheated pizza stone or baking steel gives the crispiest bottom crust and the most authentic pizzeria-style texture.
  • Brushing the finished stromboli with garlic butter after baking adds extra flavor, aroma, and a glossy bakery-style finish.
  • Let the stromboli rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This helps the cheese set properly and keeps the filling from sliding out.
  • Stromboli reheats best in the oven or air fryer at 350°F until warmed through and crisp again. Microwaving may soften the crust.