Sunday, August 24, 2008
mmmm...stromboli
when i saw a version of this recipe here, i was inspired. it looked good and i wanted to have it right then. but i think it may have been midnight or later and i was not in any state to cook, nor did i have the ingredients. but i remembered this stromboli the next time we were at the grocery store and picked up my favorite fixin's. on a nice saturday afternoon, following a trip to the garden to collect basil, i set out on my first stromboli-making experience.
basil, olive & cheese stromboli (adapted from ryan's loose recipe)
1 package ready made pizza dough (or make your own!)
1/2 stick butter (or more...)
large handful fresh basil
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1 lb package mozzarella, sliced
1 c olive tapenade
1/4 c shredded paremsan
pizza sauce for dipping
1. in a food processor, blend butter, basil and garlic until basil is finely chopped
2. roll out pizza dough to 1/4 thick in an oblong square/oval shape
3. spread 3/4 of the butter/basil/garlic mixture over the dough
4. lay out slices of mozzarella across the dough
5. even spread olive tapenade over the mozzarella and dough and then sprinkle with parmesan
6. fold dough by one third, another third, and a final third to close (see pictures below)
7. brush the remaining butter/basil/garlic mixture across the top
8. on a cookie sheet or pizza pan, bake at 325 F until golden brown (about 45 mins to an hour)
9. slice stromboli across into 2 inch pieces and serve with warm pizza sauce
first i rolled out a package of wheat dough to about 1/4" thick. i'll tell you right now, this might be one of the times that i think this wheat crust choice was probably not as good as what a regular white crust would have been. sort of how egg salad and french toast should always be made with wonder bread type white bread, stromboli needs that puffy, doughy white crust on the inside.
once i blended my garden fresh basil (purple and green) with butter and garlic, i coated the dough in low fat goodness. or buttery goodness. you tell yourself whatever you want to hear, ok?
cheese and olives...i believe we've talked about my feelings here.
you can see the two cheeses here and olive tapenade with pimentos. i may have consumed a bit of tapenade right from the jar, so what you see here could be less than what the recipe called for. i can't help it. i have never been able to control it. it's why i used to get jars of olives and pickles as birthday presents. and i'm not kidding...i even got black olives in my easter basket once. but, i also got a black plastic rat in my easter basket once. and my parents let me search for it naked...a naked first easter basket search resulting in candy and a squeaky rat. so really, the olive thing seems pretty ok.
and here's how you fold stromboli: pick up and turn one third, then over again and fold the last bit up to close it. then coat the top with more fat free butter and basil. it's what makes it crisp and golden, so don't skimp.
ah, and this is what it looks liked when it's done! do you see those crispy herbs and the melty cheese peeking through? now i know that stromboli is not fancy...it's barely more than pizza. but this looks good.
like i said earlier, it's not nearly as puffy as some that i've had and i really think that's all because of the wheat crust.
cheese and olives rolled in dough
the great thing about stromboli is that any "recipe" is really pointless. you add what you like. that's sort of my game for dinner anyway. my motto: pick your favorites and incorporate them. and also, don't put weird things in easter baskets and put a diaper on your baby!
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