Delicious Stromboli Recipe 

Some recipes feel like a hug. To me, Stromboli is one of them.

It’s warm, golden, a little crisp on the outside, soft and melty on the inside. The kind of thing that fills your kitchen with the best smells—garlic, oregano, bubbling cheese—makes everyone in our family pause mid-bite to nod in agreement: this is really good.

Stromboli reminds me why I love cooking. It’s unfussy but rewarding, a recipe you can roll out on a whim. And (especially)…….. it makes people happy. That’s reason enough to bake one.

I made this delicious stromboli recipe last week in our kids and teens cooking classes. We wrapped these school holiday classes up just yesterday. They were really wonderful and we had the most wonderful cooks join us. We cooked many different recipes in these varied cooking classes, but many students preferred this delicious Stromboli recipe. 

Why You’ll Very Likely Love Making Stromboli:

• It starts with a beautiful homemade dough. This recipe includes a simple, foolproof dough—soft, stretchy, and just the right amount of chewy. If you’ve never made dough before, this is a great one to start with. It is very simple – I promise!
• A homemade tomato sauce makes all the difference. A quick simmer of passata, garlic, and oregano transforms into something rich and velvety, the perfect base for your Stromboli filling.
• It’s customisable. This version is vegetarian, with melty mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil (or baby spinach, if basil isn’t in season), but you can easily add cured meats if you like. Maybe your family is like mine, whereby half of us are vegetarian, and the other half do eat some meat. I tend to make one Stromboli as vegetarian and the other, I also add salami or proscuitto. 

Making Stromboli is one of those lovely kitchen projects—rolling out the dough, layering the ingredients, carefully folding and tucking the edges. There’s something meditative about it, like kneading bread or stirring risotto. And when it bakes? That moment when you pull it out of the barbecue or oven, golden and crisp, the cheese inside just waiting to ooze out—it’s magic.

A Few Tips for Stromboli Success

1. Let the dough rest. This gives the gluten time to relax, making it easier to roll out, and allows the yeast to develop flavour and structure. Let it sit at room temperature before rolling for the best texture.
2. Don’t overfill. It’s tempting, but too much filling makes rolling tricky and can cause leaks in the oven (never fun for the cleaner-upper-er).
3. Score the top before baking. This allows steam to escape and prevents the Stromboli from bursting.

In my cooking classes, I usually get asked what the difference is between Stromboli and calzone:

Stromboli and calzone may seem similar, but they have distinct differences. Stromboli, an Italian-American creation from the 1950s, is named after the Italian volcanic island. It is rolled like a log, baked, and sliced before serving, with fillings such as meats, cheeses, and vegetables, while marinara sauce is typically served on the side. Calzone, originating in Naples, Italy, is folded into a half-moon shape, sealed, and served whole. It usually contains ricotta, mozzarella, and sometimes meats or vegetables, with tomato sauce often inside. Stromboli has a thin, crispy crust, whereas calzone is thicker and breadier, resembling a stuffed pastry.

Join Our Cooking Community

If you love recipes like this—comforting, homemade, the kind that bring people together—you would very likely love our Relish Mama Cooking Club. It’s where I share my favourite go-to recipes, plus exclusive online cooking classes and community inspiration. If you’re ready to take your cooking to the next level, join us today! Click here to explore. We’d love to welcome you. 

I hope you enjoy this Delicious Stromboli recipe and always feel free to post in comments if you make it. I love reading these very much. 

Love Nellie

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Delicious Stromboli Recipe 

Delicious Stromboli Recipe

Make the best homemade Stromboli with this easy, delicious recipe! Crispy golden crust, melty cheese, and rich tomato sauce—perfect for any occasion.

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Course: Main Course, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian, American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Resting time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 people

Author: Nellie Kerrison | Relish Mama

Cost: 15

Equipment

• 1 Saucepan
• 1 large glass or ceramic bowl for the dough
• 1 Oven or Barbecue

Ingredients

Pizza dough

• 1 7g dried yeast
• 375 g 2½ cups "00" flour or use plain flour
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Filling

• 150 g grated mozarella
• Approximately 50 g finely grated parmesan
• 1 cup loosely packed basil
• 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
• Egg wash for brushing
• Please note - 200 g thinly sliced cured meat such as ham, mortadella or salami can be added/included in your filling should you wish too include meats into your filling.

The sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped or use a garlic crusher
• 400 g passata
• 1 tsp dried or fresh oregano

Instructions

• For the dough, combine yeast and 250ml lukewarm water in a small bowl. Combine flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture and oil to make a soft dough. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes). Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (approx.. 1 hour).
• For the sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir occasionally until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add tomatoes and simmer over low heat until mixture is reduced to a paste (30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead again until just smooth. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 20cm x 30cm rectangle on a lightly floured sheet of baking paper.
• Continued over page >>>>>>>
• Preheat oven to 220°C. Line oven tray/s with baking paper.
• Spread tomato sauce on the dough rectangles but leave a 1cm border. Top each with mozzarella and also cured meats (if using).
• Sprinkle ¼ cup of the parmesan on each, then top with spinach leaves or basil. Turn the paper so a long side of the dough is in front of you. Fold in edges on the short sides, then carefully roll up dough from the long side to enclose filling. Place seam-side down on trays.
• Flatten slightly with your hands and brush lightly all over with egg.
• Using a sharp knife, cut shallow slashes across the rolls. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan, then stand, uncovered, in a warm place for 10 minutes.
• Bake for 10 minutes on 220oC.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200°C, then bake until golden brown and cooked (10 minutes).
• Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

https://relishmama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Slicing-Stromboli-1.mov

Notes

Please note - 200 g thinly sliced cured meat, such as ham, mortadella or salami can be added/included in your filling should you wish too include meats into your filling.