Stromboli is a sandwich made with a square pizza dough (either rolled or folded) filled with pizza toppings, similar to a calzone. Stromboli is also an active volcano located off the north coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. While foods are often named for places, this dish is not the case.

There are several rumors relating to the origin of this sandwich, with multiple people taking credit for the creation of this treat. The story I like the best is that a pizza artisan in Essington, Pennsylvania developed an unnamed rolled sandwich that he regularly featured in his shop in 1950, the same year that Roberto Rossellini directed “Stromboli”, an Italian-American film starring Ingrid Bergman. One of the regular patrons loved the nameless sandwich, Bergman, and the move, and suggested that it should be called Stromboli. Whether or not this is the real story, I guess we may never know, but I think it’s a fun tale.

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Braided Stromboli

Pizza-ala-sandwich. Easy to make Stromboli is a fun way to change up pizza night.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough
• ½ cup spaghetti sauce
• assorted pizza topping of your choice
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400° F.
• Start by rolling out a pizza dough into a rectangle on a well-floured board (I used one that I keep in the freezer from my basic dough recipe).
• Spread the sauce lengthwise down the center third of the dough, and layer with your choice of pizza toppings.
• Then using a sharp knife make a series of cuts about 1″ wide down both sides, working from the filling out to the edge of the dough.
• Stretch the strips across the filling, alternating from side to side to create a “braid”.
• Transfer the Stromboli onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
• Place in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until top is golden.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing (The filling will be extremely hot so take caution).

Notes

This easy to make Pizza Dough is a winner.  I make it ahead of time and keep it in the freezer so it is always on hand.