stromboli

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Pizza Dough (recipe p. 34), refrigerated for at least 8 hours
• Unbleached bread flour or semolina flour, for dusting
• 1 heaping cup grated low-moisture mozzarella
• 1 cup filling, such as sliced ham, crumbled cooked sausage, chopped olives, or sautéed small-diced onions
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• No-Cook Tomato Sauce (recipe p. 35), heated, for dipping

Directions

1. Prepare your filling. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Dust a work surface lightly with flour, or semolina if using, and transfer the dough to the work surface. Dust the dough with flour and press it into a rectangle with your fingertips. Divide the dough in half crosswise. Roll one piece of dough into a larger rectangle, working from the center of the dough to each of the four corners and then to each of the four sides to even out the rectangle, until it’s 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. It should be approximately 11 inches long and 14 inches wide. Use more dusting flour as needed.
2. Cover the surface of a dough rectangle with 1 cup cheese and your additional filling choices, leaving a 1-inch border. Tightly and evenly roll the stromboli from the bottom to the top, pinching the seam tightly closed with fingers or thumbs. Also pinch the two ends closed and tuck them under the loaf. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Carefully lift the long loaves and put them seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the top of the loaves with olive oil and loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap.
3. Leave the loaves at room temperature for about 11/2 hours. The dough won’t rise very much but will just be showing signs of expansion by the time it’s ready to be baked.
4. Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F if using convection). Brush the dough again with olive oil and cut 3 or 4 steam vents crosswise into each stromboli with a sharp paring knife, cutting all the way down through the filling to release any air pockets. Bake until the crust turns a rich golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 10 minutes for even baking. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the heated tomato sauce on the side for dipping.