Easy Pepperoni Stromboli Recipe with Ham and Cheese

It only takes 6 ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven to make this delicious and easy stromboli recipe with pepperoni, ham and cheese.

I love a pepperoni stromboli and I love a ham and cheese stromboli, So, what could be better than a pepperoni, ham and cheese stromboli?!

It’s easy to make with only six ingredients and (with fresh or defrosted dough) will be ready to eat in under an hour.

Several years back, during a super busy week, an angel of a friend brought us this easy stromboli for dinner.

My family fell in love and from that moment on bombarded me with requests to “get that stromboli recipe, Mom” or stories that always started with “remember the time that lady brought us stromboli….”.

So I finally hit Faith up for her to-die-for recipe which was written in very approximate measurements, just like I cook. I loved her even more.

After posting the Easy Stromboli recipe on the blog, it quickly became one of my most popular recipes and posts on my old site.

The first few times I made it were trial and error. I would inevitably use too much sauce or too many fillings, roll the dough too thick or wouldn’t roll the stromboli tight enough. 

After lots of practice, I’ve finally gotten homemade stromboli down to a science so I’m posting an updated recipe with tips and some new images.

All in all this is a very simple and easy recipe to make, but there are a few things I don’t want you to miss so it comes out perfectly.

First of all, for the crust – you can do this a few different ways. You can use refrigerated pizza crust, make your own simple homemade pizza dough or use frozen bread dough loaves.

You can also use pre-made pizza dough you buy from the supermarket or a local pizzeria. (Yes, many pizzerias sell dough – you just have to ask.)

I use Rhodes frozen bread dough loaves. They come three to a package. You can pick them up for around $5 per package.

Easy Stromboli Recipe

Stromboli Ingredients:

(See recipe card below for quantities and full instructions)

• frozen bread loaf (or homemade pizza dough)
• pasta sauce or pizza sauce – your favorite red sauce (like marinara sauce) will do
• sliced provolone cheese OR mozzarella cheese
• pepperoni
• deli ham
• egg

How to Make Stromboli with Pepperoni, Ham and Cheese:

Place frozen loaves on a baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray or a damp towel.

Store in your oven (turned off) until risen 2-3 times their frozen size (2-5 hours depending on the temperature inside your home/oven) .

Remove one loaf, punch it down and form a ball of dough. Place on a flat floured surface.

Roll the dough ball into a rectangle-ish shape. The dough should be thin, about 1/8″ thick. You might have to work at it a bit to get it rolled out thin enough. It will start to give after a bit.

Layer the toppings of your choice (I use red pasta sauce, provolone, pepperoni and cooked ham) over two-thirds of the dough up to 1/2 inch from the edges and leaving a 1/2 inch strip along one long side.

Be careful not to use too much pasta or pizza sauce (about 1/2  cup) or overfill with toppings.

Gently beat an egg and brush it onto the long exposed strip of dough. Fold the the two shorter sides in and brush them with egg wash too. This will help seal the dough when you roll it up.

Now starting on the long side, roll the Stromboli in jelly roll fashion as tight as you can. Keep rolling, you want the 3-inch strip to end up on the bottom of the stromboli.

Next, move the stromboli to a cookie sheet (these are my favorite). I like to line with parchment paper so I’m not scrubbing the pan later.

Cut slits into the top of the stromboli (so it can breathe and won’t explode in your oven) and brush it with the remaining egg wash.

This will seal in the flavor and give it a golden, glazed appearance. I like to use a silicone brush like these because they clean up very easy and last longer than bristled brushes.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes (all ovens are different, you may need to experiment with yours – I have also baked stromboli at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes).

If the stromboli starts to turn too brown, make a foil tent to place over it during the remaining cooking time.

Beautiful! And scrumptious. It will be piping hot. Let stand for a few minutes to give the insides a chance to settle down. Serve with a healthy tossed salad.

Freezer Stromboli

This Stromboli makes a great freezer meal. You can premake the stromboli and freeze it for a quick and easy meal later on.

If you’re making one or two stromboli for dinner, take an extra 10 to 15 minutes and make four for the freezer.

To make the stromboli a freezer meal, place your filled and rolled dough on a pan and flash freeze it for 2 hours. Then wrap with foil and freeze.

When ready to bake, let thaw in the refrigerator all day. Then bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

You may also pre-bake, let cool, then freeze. When ready to eat, let thaw, bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Stromboli Options:

You can be creative with your stromboli fillings. Basically any of your favorite pizza toppings will also be delicious in stromboli – sausage, Canadian bacon, regular bacon – you name it..

I have also made one with chicken, shredded mozzarella cheese and pesto sauce.

Other types of deli meat work well. You can change up the types of cheese to suit the meat, i.e. roast beef and cheddar, turkey and havarti, salami and provolone, etc.

If you want to add some veggies, you can saute red or green bell peppers and onions to include. Or layer in spinach before rolling and cooking.

For even more seasoning you can add in some Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, garlic powder or other spices. Parmesan cheese is another great addition.

You can even make a breakfast stromboli and fill it with scrambled eggs, cooked bacon or sausage and cheddar cheese.

Stromboli Dipping Sauce:

You can serve your stromboli with a dipping sauce. An easy dipping sauce is more of the pasta sauce or pizza sauce you put inside. Other options are alfredo sauce, olive oil with red pepper and Italian seasoning, or even your favorite salad dressing.

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