What is Stromboli Pizza Bread?

I like to call this a “meal in a loaf” as that is literally what this is! It is a pizza-topping-packed bread that , in itself can function as a main dish and has so many options for mixing it up.

My love for making bread began some time back. I was a newlywed and had moved to a new city. I hadn’t had a chance to meet anyone yet, so when I saw an upcoming weekend workshop at a local community college for learning how to bake bread. Having never baked ANYTHING before (I had always focused on cooking instead of baking), I was intrigued and decided to sign-up.

While I didn’t end up making an long-term friends from the venture, I did walk away with a newfound love for bread-making. In the time since many a loaf has made its way to my oven. There really is nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking in your kitchen.

This particular recipe came from trying to come up with ways to make the Olive Oil Dough into more dishes. It is often a go-to pizza crust for us, but I wanted to do something different. I decided to make it into a super-customizable dish that could be re-mixed in a ton of ways (more below). And it was a hit!

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How to Make Stromboli Pizza Bread

Begin by combining the yeast, salt sugar and olive oil in a 5 quart container. I use these and they are perfect for all the breads I make. Mix in the flour without kneading. Cover with the lid, but not air-tight. And allow to rise for approximately 2 hours.

Once the dough is risen, shape it into a ball and then roll it out into a rectangle that is 1/4″ thick. You can add a bit of flour if needed but try to keep it to a minimum to not stiffen the dough.

Brush the Dough with olive oil.

Gather your toppings and get to sprinkling. At this step you will treat this much like a pizza by leaving a small border around the edges. Obviously the toppings can be remixed to your liking.

Gently fold in the sides of the loaf and slowly roll-up jelly roll style.

Roll up fully. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Allow to rest for one hour. During this time, preheat your oven to 450. After the loaf has had time to rise, place it in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

What topping work in Stromboli Pizza Bread?

There are a lot of toppings that would work with this dish, here are some ideas, but feel free to add your own.

Pesto sauce
diced onions, sautéed
bell peppers
mushrooms
extra cheese
green olives
bacon
jalapenos
banana peppers

How to serve Stromboli Pizza Bread?

As I said, I consider this a meal in a loaf; however, here are some serving suggestions…

Slice and serve with pizza sauce as it
Top with your favorite cheese, toast, and serve with pizza sauce to dip
Make a grilled cheese. Line two slices with mayo (trust me that is the way to go, forget the butter), fill with cheese, crisp on both sides and munch, pizza sauce on the side if you like.
This could also be a side, some main dish suggestions would be:

Can Stromboli Pizza Bread be made Vegetarian or Vegan?

YES! But you will need to make some changes.

The base dough is considered vegan-friendly, so it is really just adjusting the toppings to make it work. So let’s get to what to consider changing..
Pepperoni…..this can totally be skipped
Sausage…you can easy swap this out with a vegetarian or vegan-friendly sausage alternative, like
Olives: Make them green (my personal favorite), swap for another olive, or omit entirely if you hate olives