Jump to RecipeA Stromboli is a perfect weeknight meal, so easy to prepare, or make in advance if need be- and very transportable if you happen to need to take this meal on the go! This recipe for Broccoli and Tomato Stromboli is loaded with veggies and cheese, so even the picky vegetable eaters are sure to give it a whirl!
Holy Stromboli this really easy!
This recipe for Stromboli forgoes the typical cured meat filling and opts for a healthier version using broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes. Of course, no Stromboli is complete without cheese!! I used a combination of a buttery, mild Fontina along side a bold, salty Locatelli Romano for a fantastic flavor and melt. But I would say you can use whatever combination you see fit, whether it be Mozzarella, Parmesan, , Asiago, Provolone- However I DO NOT recommend a cheese that is very high in moisture, like a fresh mozzarella, burrata, or ricotta. This will get you a soggy Stromboli and nobody likes a soggy Stromboli- TRUST!
Stromboli Basics
A Stromboli is very similar to a calzone, only its rolled into a log shape instead of folded in half in to a semi circle. You can choose from a variety of fillings: cheeses, meats, sauce or pestos. Really very flexible with just one general rule of thumb, you don’t want to use foods with a high moisture content as I discussed earlier when talking about cheese combinations. Yes I realize tomato is a high moisture food as well, but i really wanted to use it, so I will say that the bottom of this Stromboli was a litter wetter than ideal, but the flavor of baked tomatoes is just heaven to me, so I made that concession.
How ’bout dat dough tho?!?
The assembly is quite simple. Especially if you are using store bought dough which can be found in the refrigerated section of almost any grocery store! If you want to make you OWN dough, two gold stars for you, it’s really not hard and you should totally go for it! But if you are looking to cut corners, like I was on this particular day, store bought will do.
When working with pizza dough there is a very, VERY important rule- you cannot work with it when it is cold. It’s a married women whose just not in the mood, all tense and difficult to coerce into stretching out to the shape you want. Wow- that’s a new metaphor for ya!
So bringing your dough into the optimal stretchy state is called “proofing”. If you want to get technical, what is happening when dough proofs is that the yeast is consuming the sugar and producing carbon dioxide gas to make the dough rise. This fermentation activity of the yeast increases in higher, humid temperatures, which is why dough is always instructed to be left in a warm place. I always leave my dough in a bowl covered by a damp clean kitchen towel in a sunny spot on the counter. If the room temperature is right, dough should proof in about 2 hours. But if it’s 5pm and the dough is still in the fridge and you are in a supreme hurry, you can hack this dreaded situation with 2 quicker fixes:
Microwave:
Fill a microwaveable cup with water and heat on high for a few minutes until boiling. Add your pizza dough to the microwave and leave the cup of water inside. The heat and steam will create a temperature that is warm, but not too hot the for dough. And the extra humidity is an ideal environment for the yeast to activate. If you need to reheat the microwave, then remove the dough and repeat the process with the water. Do not work the microwave while the dough is inside – it will cook the dough. The dough is ready when it has almost doubled in size, which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. If it seems like the bread needs more time, remove the dough from the microwave and reheat the water. Return the bowl of dough to the microwave, and check after 10 to 15 minutes.
Oven:
Turn the oven on high for a minute to take the chill off the air. Use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature is below the 100F advised temperature otherwise you will start to kill the yeast. You can keep the light on in the oven for some extra heat. Fill a shallow pan with boiling water and place it on the bottom of the oven. Put dough on a baking sheet on the shelf above. Close the oven door and wait until proofed. The heat and humidity of the water will fill the space and provide perfecting proofing conditions. The dough should be ready in about 30-40 minutes. It largely depends on how yeasty the dough was made, so I can’t tell you exactly. You will know when its ready because it will appear larger (rise) and fluffier.
Assemble
When your dough is ready to go, preheat the oven to 425°.
Meanwhile heat olive oil in saucepan with lid. Saute’ shallot and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Saute another 2 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and 2 tbsp of water for steaming. Cover and cook broccoli for 5 minutes, until broccoli is just cooked through. Then remove from heat, add salt and pepper, stir to combine. Set aside and shape the dough.
First you will need to dust a clean countertop with flour and lay the pizza dough out on top. Using your finger tips around the edge, gently guide the dough into a large rectangle. Dust with flour again and turn over and continue to work our the edges into a rectangle. Try to spread it evenly, you don’t want one side that is really thin, while the other side is thick. The rectangle will be approximately 9×16 inches.
Layer the filling, 1 cup of cheese, vegetables, and then remaining cheese. You will want to leave at least an inch all the way around and 2-3″ at the long side furthest from you.
Fold edge furthest from you over towards the broccoli and cheese, lengthwise. It was partially cover the filling. Continue to roll, being careful not to tear dough until you have a long log shape.
Tuck the excess dough on ends underneath. You can also “borrow” some dough from those ends to patch up any tears that may have happened.
Carefully transfer to a baking sheet seam side down, brush or spray with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and place in preheated oven.
Bake for 25 until the top looks crusty and slightly browned.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or wrap slices up in tinfoil of taking this for a quick dinner in the car on the way to an after school activity! Lord knows, this is the outcome all too often!
Easy Cheesy Broccoli and Tomato Stromboli
Ingredients
- 1 lb store bought pizza dough proofed at room temp
- 12 oz broccoli florets chopped small
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 shallot sliced
- 2 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup fontina cheese shredded
- 1 cup romano cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring the (fresh or frozen) dough to room temperature. This makes it easier to work with and keeps it from shrinking back during the stretching process. It may take several hours to do so, so I always take the dough out 1st thing in the morning, and place it in a bowl greased with a tad of olive oil, put a clean kitchen towel over it and let it sit on the counter until I'm ready to make dinner that afternoon.
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Heat olive oil in saucepan with lid. Saute' shallot and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Saute another 2 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and 2 tbsp of water for steaming. Cover and cook broccoli for 5 minutes, until broccoli is just cooked through.
- Remove from heat, add salt and pepper, stir to combine.
- Dust clean countertop with flour and lay the pizza dough out on top. Using your finger tips around the edge, gently guide the dough into a large rectangle. Dust with flour again and turn over and continue to work our the edges into a rectangle. Try to spread it evenly, you don't want one side that is really thin, while the other side is thick. The rectangle will be approximately 9×16 inches.
- Spread 1 cup of cheese in the shape of a smaller rectangle, leaving at least an inch all the way around and 2-3" at the long side furthest from you.Place the broccoli filling over top to the cheese. Then add the remaining cup of cheese.
- Fold edge furthest from you over towards the broccoli and cheese, lengthwise. It was partially cover the filling. Continue to roll, being careful not to tear dough until you have a long log shape.
- Tuck the excess dough on ends underneath. You can also "borrow" some dough from those ends to patch up any tears that may have happened.
- Carefully transfer to a baking sheet seam side down, brush or spray with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and place in preheated oven.
- Bake for 25 until the top looks crusty and slightly browned.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
