Muffuletta Stromboli
Why place meat and cheese between two slices of bread when you can stuff dough with layers of it AND homemade olive salad? Meet (or should I say meat) this muffuletta stromboli.
My mom and sister used to love the muffuletta at McCalister’s Deli, and as a former olive hater, I simply never got the hype. I have since recovered from the lack of taste buds (to a degree… I’m not popping them off my fingers), and am a big fan of the oily, meaty, cheesy sandwich.
I love making stromboli for road trips or weeknight dinners (helloooo Halloween) when you can just slice and reheat as needed. So this felt like the perfect twist to bring in some new, briny flavors.
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MUFFULETTA STROMBOLI
Anyone who’s had a muffuletta knows that they are oily thanks to all the goodness in that olive salad. For this, we want to marinate our tapenade in all those good flavors but then strain it, to prevent any excessive leaking.
I’ve always used frozen (then thawed) bread dough, but go forth and make your own if you wish. Once it’s thawed, you’ll stretch it, layer with mozzarella, ham, olive salad, salami, and provolone, before sealing and baking.
Why do you strain the olive salad? Since the olive tapenade is baked inside the stromboli, we need to minimize the amount of liquid inside to prevent a soggy crust or bursts (and leaks!) in the dough.
INGREDIENTS
- Green olives: The briny, salty base of the homemade olive salad.
- Kalamata olives: Add a rich, tangy flavor.
- Roasted red peppers: Bring sweetness to balance the briny olives.
- Pepperoncini: Add a tangy bite to the olive salad.
- Capers: Enhance the salad with a sharp, salty flavor.
- Garlic: Adds savory depth to the olive salad.
- Red wine vinegar: A little acidity to brighten the salad and balance the rich meats and cheeses.
- Dried oregano and basil: For added herby flavor in both the olive salad and stromboli filling.
- Black pepper: Adds mild heat to the olive salad and filling.
- Frozen bread dough: Creates a soft, chewy bread crust that holds the stromboli filling together.
- Flour: Prevents the dough from sticking while shaping.
- Dried parsley: For a fresh bite in the filling’s seasoning.
- Garlic powder: Reinforces the savory garlic flavor throughout the filling.
- Mozzarella cheese: Adds a mild, creamy flavor and melty texture to the stromboli.
- Ham: Provides a tender, savory layer of meat.
- Genoa salami: Brings a rich, seasoned flavor.
- Provolone cheese: Adds a sharp, savory layer in the stromboli.
- Egg: Creates a golden, glossy finish on the bread crust.
How do you shape stromboli? Stretch your thawed bread dough long and wide before layering your fillings down the middle. Once full, gently pull the dough from the bottom, up and over the filling before pinching closed. Then flip over so the seam side is against the baking tray.
HOW TO MAKE MUFFULETTA STROMBOLI
Start by thawing your frozen bread dough…
Dust a piece of parchment paper generously with flour, place the bread dough on top, and let it thaw at room temperature for 1 ½–2 hours, until it is still cool but soft enough to stretch.
Prepare the homemade olive salad…
Finely chop the green olives, Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, and capers, then measure and add them to a bowl.
Stir in the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil, and black pepper. Let the olive salad marinate for at least 30 minutes, or prepare it the night before for even more flavor.
About 10 minutes before assembling your stromboli, strain the olive salad through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing down with a spoon every few minutes to remove as much excess liquid as possible. This step is important for preventing soggy bread and helping the stromboli stay sealed as it bakes.
Assemble your muffuletta strombolis…
Preheat your oven to 375°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper, dusting each with flour. In a small bowl, combine the dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, garlic powder, and black pepper to make the filling seasoning.
Place one thawed loaf of bread dough on each prepared baking tray and gently stretch each into a 6-by-12-inch rectangle. Divide the mozzarella, ham, salami, provolone, olive salad, and seasoning mixture evenly between the two loaves.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella in an even layer over each rectangle of dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Divide the seasoning mixture in half, sprinkle one portion over the mozzarella, and top each loaf with an even layer of ham.
Divide the drained olive salad between the two loaves, spooning it into a narrow strip down the center of the ham. Keep the olive salad at least 1 inch away from the edges so the surrounding ham helps contain the filling and reduces the risk of excess moisture making the dough soggy.
Cover the olive salad with the sliced Genoa salami, then sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the top. Finish with an even layer of sliced provolone cheese.
Seal and bake the strombolis…
To seal each stromboli, gently pull the dough from underneath the filling up and over the top, bringing the top and bottom edges up before folding over the long sides. Pinch the seams firmly to seal, then carefully flip each loaf seam-side down on its baking tray.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with a splash of milk or water, then brush it over the tops of both strombolis for a golden, glossy crust. Use a knife to score several shallow diagonal slits across the top of each loaf, spacing them about 2–3 inches apart without cutting all the way through the dough.
Bake the muffuletta stromboli for 35–40 minutes, rotating the trays and switching their oven racks about 25 minutes into baking. The loaves are ready when they are puffed up and deeply golden brown, similar to a freshly baked loaf of bread.
Remove the strombolis from the oven and let them cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This resting time helps the filling settle and makes the loaves easier to cut cleanly.
3 reasons you’ll love this muffuletta stromboli…
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- If you prefer a stromboli without the olives, here’s my classic stromboli recipe, which my mom has been making since I was a kiddo
- Keep a close eye on your bread dough as it finishes thawing. Make sure to generously flour the parchment paper, as the dough will get sticky, and you don’t want to risk it tearing
- I love both Rhodes and Bridgeford bread dough. You’ll find it in loaves in the freezer section of your grocery store
- Draining the olive salad is essential. I like to make mine the night before, to give it extra time to marinate, before straining. Really press the salad down in a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any of that excess liquid!
- When assembling, you want to create almost a meat seal around your olive tapenade. Place the salad directly down the center of your ham, without spreading, before covering with the salami to really seal it in
- Don’t skip the egg wash! While not necessary per se, it gives the bread a nice crust and that deep golden finish
- If your stromboli leaks, don’t worry! If some filling or liquid escapes during baking, carefully place a piece of paper towel over the leak to absorb the liquid, then immediately transfer the stromboli to a wire rack so it doesn’t sit in the liquid and develop a soggy bottom
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
I’d recommend making the olive salad the night before, to give it more time to marinate before straining and assembling.
Once assembled, immediately bake your muffuletta stromboli. Because of the olive layer, there’s too much liquid to risk keeping it in the fridge and baking later.
After baking, enjoy immediately or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. I love to slice and store it in the freezer for quick grabs when I need an easy dinner. Lasts up to 3 months in the freezer!
MORE SAVORY RECIPES with a TWIST
- Mediterranean Focaccia
- Buffalo Chicken Pastries
- Rosemary Challah Rolls
- Tartiflette Galette
- Pimento Cheese Biscuits
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- Baking Trays
- Parchment Paper
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted chopped green olives
- 1 cup pitted chopped Kalamata olives
- ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup chopped pepperoncini
- 2 tbsp chopped capers
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 loaves bread dough 1 lb per loaf (I like Rhodes or Bridgeford)
- Flour for dusting and shaping
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ lb mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ lb ham thinly sliced
- ¾ lb Genoa salami thinly sliced
- ½ lb provolone cheese sliced
- 1 Egg for brushing tops
Instructions
- *Dust a piece of parchment paper well with flour and place your frozen bread dough on top. Leave at room temperature to thaw for around 1 ½ – 2 hours before you plan to assemble your stromboli! It should still be cool but soft enough to stretch.
- Start by prepping your olive salad. Make this at least 40 minutes in advance so the flavors have time to marinate. You can even make it the night before!
- Finely chop, then measure your olives, peppers, pepperoncini, and capers, and add them to a bowl
- Add your minced garlic, vinegar, and seasonings. Stir and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Then, 10 minutes before you’re ready to assemble your stromboli, strain your olive mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any excess liquid (pressing down with a spoon every few minutes). It’s important to strain out as much liquid to prevent your stromboli from bursting when baking!
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper and dust each with flour
- Combine your filling spices in a small bowl: oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, and black pepper
- Once your dough is ready, place one dough on each baking tray before gently stretching each loaf to form a 6”x12” rectangle
- Split your meats and cheeses in half, then sprinkle your mozzarella in an even layer along the dough, leaving a rim of dough as possible
- Sprinkle half of your seasoning mixture evenly over the mozzarella, followed by a layer of your ham
- Divide your olive mixture between the two loaves, and spoon it into a thinner line down the middle, over the ham mixture. Don’t spread this to the edges! You want at least an inch on each side of the olive mixture, where you can see the ham. This will prevent any excess liquid from escaping and making the dough soggy once baked
- Cover the olive layer with your salami, then sprinkle over the rest of the spices, before finishing with a layer of your provolone
- Gently pull the dough out from under the filling. Pulling the top and bottom out and over, before the long sides. Make sure to pinch the seams together well to close, then flip over and place the seam side of your loaves down on each baking tray
- In a bowl, beat your egg with a splash of milk or water and brush over the top of your strombolis. Use a knife to score (not cut fully through!) a few diagonal slits every 2-3 inches across the top of each stromboli
- Bake 35-40 minutes, rotating your pans and switching racks about 25 minutes into the bake, until puffed and browned (like a loaf of bread!)
- Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing
