Stromboli Pizza Bites are both a pizza and a calzone, with everything you’d want on a pizza, rolled up inside a cheesy dough and baked to perfection.
From Summertime Poolside To A New Year’s Eve Gathering Stromboli Is The Perfect Do-Ahead!
From poolside to a New Year’s Eve gathering, few dishes are as satisfying, or as versatile, as Stromboli. Crispy, golden, and stuffed with all the flavors you love, it’s a hands-on centerpiece that doubles as an easy, do-ahead meal. The magic lies in its adaptability: you can fill it with a hearty mix of cured meats and cheeses for a savory crowd-pleaser, or load it with roasted vegetables for a lighter, colorful alternative.
Prepared in advance, Stromboli lets you enjoy the evening rather than spending it in the kitchen. As it bakes, the kitchen fills with the aroma of toasted bread, melted cheese, and roasted fillings, a delicious promise of comfort and celebration. When sliced, each piece reveals a mosaic of ingredients, perfect for sharing with friends and family while counting down the final hours of the year.
It’s not just a meal; it’s a centerpiece, a conversation starter, and a dish that invites everyone to gather around, sip something sparkling, and savor the simple joy of good food as the new year begins.
What Is Stromboli?
Stromboli is the perfect pizza bite! And no, Stromboli was not originally from Italy. It’s American!
Can you imagine how fabulous it would be to be able to take a pizza to a park picnic, a to-go lunch, out on your patio without that big ole messy box, or a meal-in-a-bite for a festive holiday gathering?
Stromboli is almost exactly that! The perfect cheesy bread dough with tomatoes, herbs, meats and cheeses perfectly rolled inside and baked to perfection. That is what Stromboli is!
Stromboli – The Perfect Leftover Solution
Got lots of odds and ends in the fridge? During the 2020 Lockdown, my fridge took on an entirely new personality; a little of this, some of that. Homemade Stromboli is the perfect dish to incorporate all those odds and ends, as it would be for anytime of the year.
Leftover meatballs (including vegetarian meatballs), or pieces of chicken are deliciously rolled inside the Stromboli.
Got just one uneaten sausage link leftover from a previous meal? Slice it thin and roll it inside the dough.
Cooked veggies leftover? Odds and end pieces of cheese not pretty enough to put on a charcuterie board?
Chop them thin and roll them up inside the Stromboli dough for the perfect one-bite pizza experience.
A Party Stromboli IS The Perfect Pizza Bite Party
Let’s say your teens are inviting some friends over, or you are having a cocktail hour at your home for yourself.
Stromboli is so easy to prep ahead of time, pop in the oven an hour before you want to serve, bake, cool and serve in neat slices on a tray.
Come on, be honest, you know pizza is messy to serve guests, especially ‘youngin’ guests!
Make one that is entirely veggies, such as sun-dried tomatoes with multi-colored peppers. Toss in some thinly sliced olives and a sprinkle of cheese and you have a delicious Veggie Stromboli.
I believe stromboli pizza bites have better durability than a pizza because the veggies get all dried out, when cooked on top the dough.
Stromboli bites, with their cheesy dough and ingredients neatly tucked inside, remain fresh looking and retain their flavor.
Leftover Stromboli Is Better Than Leftover Pizza
Want meat inside your stromboli? Go right ahead and make one Stromboli with sausage, another with chicken or turkey slices, or other spiced and aged meat slices.
Roll the meat filled stromboli with fresh tomatoes, some chili peppers and cheese and wow, you’ve got a meal in a bite, a pizza bite!
I don’t know who decided that a cold slice of pizza for breakfast is yummy but not this gal. Yuk! The dough is dry, the toppings have lost their moisture. Nope!
Leftover Stromboli? That beautiful roll or leftover slices wrapped in parchment paper and popped in the microwave or oven for a short heat-up and it tastes almost as yummy as when you first served it.
What To Put Inside Stromboli Pizza Bites
- Left-over meat – cooked
- Lunch meat
- Bacon – cooked
- Tomatoes – fresh or sun-dried
- Peppers – fresh, frozen or jarred
- Vegan Meatballs
- Grandmas Sneaky Meatballs
- Spinach – or any handful of fresh leafy greens
- Spinach Pesto
- Cheese – any cheese
- Anything!
- Garlic
- Ghost Chili Onion Jam
Put your goodies in a bowl, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper (hot or black), toss and set aside while dough rises.
How To Make Stromboli
The first part is just like making a loaf of homemade bread. Once the dough rises, it gets rolled out on a floured surface and all the yummy filling is rolled up inside the dough.
Brush the top of the rolled dough with an egg-wash to give it a golden color while baking, a sprig or two of a favorite herb and you have a brilliant meal, often using leftovers.
Ingredients Needed
The foundation of any great Stromboli is its bread, a golden, tender, slightly chewy dough that holds all the delicious fillings within.
- The base starts simply with flour, giving structure, while yeast works quietly to lift the dough into light, airy perfection. A pinch of sugar fuels the yeast and adds a hint of sweetness, balanced by salt for flavor depth.
- Water binds everything together, creating a supple dough that’s easy to roll and shape, while a touch of grated cheese and herbs kneaded into the dough adds subtle richness and aromatic flavor that carries through the bake. Brushed with egg before baking, the Stromboli develops a shiny, golden crust that promises crispness on the outside and softness inside, a blank canvas ready to cradle any combination of fillings your imagination or refrigerator inspires.
- This bread is more than a vessel; it’s the comforting, flavorful heart of the Stromboli, warm and inviting, waiting to be sliced and shared as the celebration begins.
Equipment Needed
Making Stromboli begins with the right tools, each chosen to make the process simple, even for a festive gathering.
- A large mixing bowl holds the dough as it comes together, giving it space to rise and breathe. Measuring cups and spoons ensure every ingredient, from yeast to herbs, is balanced, keeping the bread flavorful without overpowering the fillings.
- A rolling pin transforms the risen dough into a thin, even canvas, ready to cradle whatever your imagination or refrigerator provides. The baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, makes it easy to transfer the Stromboli into the oven while preventing sticking and keeping cleanup simple. A basting brush is essential for brushing the dough with egg, giving the crust a shiny, golden finish.
- Finally, a reliable oven brings everything together, baking the bread to perfection, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly ready to embrace a medley of meats, cheeses, or roasted vegetables. With these simple tools, Stromboli becomes not just a meal, but a centerpiece for sharing, laughter, and the joy of any celebration.
Stromboli Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups Flour extra for dusting
- 2 tsp Yeast
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Water room temperature
- 1/4 cup Grated Cheese
- 1 tbsp Dried Herbs oregano or thyme
- 1 Egg (egg-wash) mixed with 1 teaspoon water
- 1 1/2 cups Filling cheeses, meats, olives, peppers, your choice
Instructions
- Pour water in a bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar on top. Let sit 5 minutes to form a foam. Sprinkle salt, cheese and herbs if using, and add a little flour. Stir. Slowly add flour and stir until it becomes difficult to stir. With your hands, begin to press added flour into the dough, add more flour, and keep pressing and folding, adding flour until it forms a lovely plump ball. There is no need for strenuous kneading, just a simple press, fold, flour, press, fold, flour until the dough is no longer sticking to your fingers. The video examples how it is done.Â
- In a clean bowl, pour a little oil to glaze the bowl. Place dough ball in the oiled bowl, cover and let it sit in a warm (not hot) place to rise. It will rise in about one hour. A little longer in cooler climate.Â
- Once it rises, sprinkle a little flour on top, and punch it down. On a floured surface, roll out into a rectangle.Spread filling on top leaving 2-inches empty at one end, roll into a long log, and transfer to a baking sheet pan.
- Preheat oven to 400 Once the dough is on the pan, the time it takes for the oven to get hot, is a perfect amount of time for the dough to rise a little more again. Brush the egg wash over the dough for a golden color and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top and firm to the touch.Â
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.