Description
My husband and I are gearing up for a diet in the New Year. He says, “I don’t like to think of it as a diet. It’s a way of life.” Haha… a temporary way of life! It just pretty much means we’re going to cut back on the breads and pastas for a bit.
So, in gearing up for this “way of life,” I asked what last meals do we want to squeeze in by the end of the year. My thought was Stromboli. My husband’s thought was cheesesteak. And so, here we have a Stromboli cheesesteak! I know, I know, it sounds really weird! But trust me, this is delicious. I mean, basically think of the Stromboli dough as a new sort of bun for the cheesesteak!
The longest part to this recipe is making the dough, which needs to proof for about an hour. If you want this as a quicker weekday dinner, use store bought dough or dough from your local pizza joint (most places will sell their dough if you ask them!). I do recommend the homemade dough, though. It’s light and packed with flavor. I’ve actually started using leaf lard for my dough lately and it has been a game changer! The texture and flavor is absolutely amazing!
Once the dough is ready, the rest comes together pretty quickly. As the oven heats up, fry up the meat until just browned. A quick sear of the meat ensures it’ll be super tender! Then sauté the onions and peppers until they just start to soften. Once they cool slightly, spoon them onto paper towels to sop up as much moisture as you can.
Okay, so here are the steps for making a Stromboli. First, roll the dough out. It likes to pull back in on itself, but just keep working it until in cooperates and holds it’s shape. I rolled the dough out to be about 15 by 18 inches.
Evenly spread the cheese across the dough, leaving about an inch or two along the two ends.
Spread the peppers, onions, and meat across the cheese.
Then roll the Stromboli up lengthwise. This is the tricky step. You want to roll about 3 to 4 inches over and roll over about 3 times, tucking the ends in.
Then pinch the seam to seal it and score it to provide vents for steam. Brush an egg wash on top if you want a beautiful golden crust. Then pop it in the oven! Stromboli’s are actually very easy to make!
Slice it along the vent lines and serve! Easy Peasy!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Dough
250 g flour
2 TB leaf lard
1 TB olive oil
½ TB salt
1½ tsps yeast
2 tsps sugar
½ cup + 1½ TB warm water ~ about 110°F
Philly Cheesesteak
1 lb sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
2 green peppers, sliced then cut in half
1 small onion, sliced
2 TBs olive oil
9 slices provolone cheese
8 sliced low moisture mozzarella
salt and pepper
egg wash
Instructions
Make the Dough
In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit until foamy ~ about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and whisk to absorb.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix together the flour and salt. On low speed, slowly add the yeast water, pouring it along the edges to push the flour down. Increase the speed to medium-low, as the dough starts to come together, keep increasing the speed little by little. Once it forms a ball, drop the lard into the bowl. Let the machine work the dough until the lard is fully absorb. Continue to let the machine work the dough for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove the dough and form it into a ball. Place it back into the bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Place the bowl in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Make the Philly Cheesesteak
Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. When hot, work in batches to cook the sirloin. Cook the sirloin 1 minute then flip and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and let sit. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
Cool the pan down with cold water, if needed, and wipe clean. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just starting to soften. Season to taste with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Make the Stromboli
Preheat the oven to 550°F (or your highest setting)
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or bread board. Knead it for about 30 seconds to remove all the air bubbles. Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about 15 inches by 18 inches. The dough will pull back in on itself. Just keep working it until it holds.
Layer the provolone cheese, then the mozzarella, evenly across the dough. Spoons the onions and peppers onto several pieces of paper towel and dab with paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Then, spread the onions and peppers on top of the cheese. Repeat the same process with the meat, removing as much excessive moisture as you can before placing on the dough.
Carefully roll the dough over lengthwise (see photos above). Seal the top by pinching along the seam. Score across the top to allow steam to vent. Place on top of a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Brush the egg wash across the top and sides.
Place in oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice along the vent marks.
Serve immediately! Enjoy!
Keywords: Philly cheesesteak stromboli, Philly cheesesteak, cheesteak, stromboli, how to make stromboli