Learn how to make this gluten free stromboli recipe with my easy to make gf pizza dough that’s soft, pliable and perfect for rolling! I provide two different filling options – one for meat lovers and the other a veggie delight!
Gluten Free Stromboli at A Glance
- It’s similar to Sausage Bread:
- Like Sausage Bread, Stromboli is an Italian-American creation made by rolling out a basic pizza dough into a large rectangle & adding fillings. While Sausage Bread is specifically filled with Italian sausage & cheese, Stromboli fillings are less specific and the finished dough is rolled into a much tighter log.
- Makes enough for two stromboli:
- You can either go ahead and make two, or wrap up the second halve well and freeze for another time. Make another stromboli, a regular pizza or cheesy breadsticks.
- Make a meat lovers version or veggie delight:
- The meat lovers version is full of your choice of cold cuts and deli meats. The vegetarian version is based on a veggie delight pizza with sautéed mushrooms, green bell pepper, onion & olives. Make one of each or double up the filling to make two of the same.
- FYI: If you plan on making the veggie filling, make do that before you start working on the dough so it has time to cool!
- The meat lovers version is full of your choice of cold cuts and deli meats. The vegetarian version is based on a veggie delight pizza with sautéed mushrooms, green bell pepper, onion & olives. Make one of each or double up the filling to make two of the same.
What Kind of Dough Do You Need to Make Gluten Free Stromboli?
In theory, you can use any pizza dough to make Stromboli. However, this isn’t necessarily true for gluten free pizza dough. This is because you need a dough with the right kind of binder to provide structure, strength and flexibility.
If your pizza dough uses xanthan gum as the main binder, you’re going to get up very frustrated when it’s time to roll the dough. Though xanthan gum is great at increasing flexibility and moisture, it does nothing to add structure to gluten free dough.
↳Why this recipe works? Instead of xanthan gum, this recipe uses whole psyllium husk as the main binder. Psyllium husk creates a soft and springy dough that’s easy to shape without tearing or crumbling – a lot like a traditional gluten dough.
In case You want a Bit More Help with the Dough…
The dough making process is pretty easy, but if you’d like a bit more info & step-by-step pictures on the process, I recommend you check out my homemade gluten free pizza dough recipe post for the extra guidance.
How to Fill & Bake Homemade Gluten Free Stromboli
Divide: Divide the pizza dough into 2 equal sized pieces. Set one portion aside & cover to keep from drying out while you work with the other.
Shape: Place on half of the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Lightly dust with flour and shape into a rectangle for rolling.
Roll: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 10×15-inch rectangle. Every so often, lift and turn the dough over to keep it from sticking to the worktop.
Brush: Whisk olive oil with garlic & parsley then brush over the middle of the dough. Leave a couple inches, unbrushed on all sides.
Meat Filling: Spread about half the cheese over the garlic-herb mixture then layer the meat slices evenly over top, followed by the remaining cheese.
Veggie Filling: Spread a layer of cheese over the garlic & herb spread followed by sautéed veggies then remaining cheese.
Roll into a log: Fold the empty edges along all sides in towards the middle (this helps keep things from spilling).
Start at the top of the long edge and carefully roll the down down towards you until you end up with a log. Use the parchment paper to help you roll the dough.
Transfer & Rest: Transfer the dough to a large, rimmed baking sheet (grease or line). Position the log to the middle of the baking pan with the seam side down. Cover & leave in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour to rise.
Egg Wash: In a small bowl or cup, whisk 1 egg with grated parmesan, dried herbs and water or cream. Brush all over the dough. Use a sharp knife to cut slits over the top of the log to let steam escape at the Stromboli bakes.
Bake: Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top of the bread is golden. If you have a cooking thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88°C-94°C). Rotate the pans halfway through cooking. Cool on the pan about 5 minutes then transfer to a cutting board to slice & serve.
FYI: Especially greasy fillings (cold cuts & cheese) may spill out on the oven. So long as you tucked the edges in well enough before baking, it shouldn’t be too much.
Do’s & Don’ts
- Do make sure the meat and cheese layers lay flat and smooth over the veggie filling into a flat, even layer.
- Don’t add to many fillings. If you notice some of the filling spilling out the bottom as your roll the log, take out the bits that can’t stay in or gently un-roll and readjust the filling bits so that you might be able to keep everything tucked inside.
- Don’t worry about the order of meat, cheese, veggies, etc. No need to over think whether or not the cheese needs to go on the bottom or not. Having tried different arrangements it dosen’t matter as it’s all rolling up anyway.
- Do make sure to use a rimmed baking pan. It’s very likely the grease from the meat and/or cheese will leak out as your Stromboli bakes so you really want to make sure to use a baking sheet that will stop the grease from leaking all over your oven.
- Don’t cut slits into the dough until after rising. The dough will seal itself up again as it rises so you’ll just need to do it again after.
- Do feel free to play around with different fillings.
- Sauce: Instead of the garlic & herb oil, spread about 1/4 cup pizza sauce, marinara, pesto, etc over the dough before adding the rest of the filling.
- Meat: Try different types of cold cuts and deli meats. Cook & crumble up some Italian sausage with the casing removed to add to your filling (a lot of like Sausage Bread!) You can even make these with turkey or chicken slices for a lighter, less greasy Stromboli.
- Cheese: Make a dairy free Stromboli by using dairy-free cheese. Use provolone in place of or in addition to mozzarella. Add asiago cheese, Emmental or Monterey jack cheese.
- Veggies: Try with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts, chilies, peppers and fresh herbs.
More Gluten Free Bread Recipes
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this Gluten-Free Stromboli recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Gluten Free Stromboli
Homemade gluten free Stromboli with 2 different filling options: one for meat lovers & one to get your veggie fix! Start out by making my basic gluten free pizza crust, then fill, roll, rise & bake!
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ¾ cup lukewarm water (420ml)
- 4 tbsp whole psyllium husk (20g)
- 2 ½ cup + 1 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour blend (360g)
- 2 ¼ tsp quick yeast (8g)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Garlic Herb Oil
- 3 tbsp olive oil (42g)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped or 2 tsp dried
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp water or milk*
- 1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
Meat Lovers Filling Option
- ⅓ lb thinly sliced deli meats or Italian cold cuts like ham, pepperoni, salami, mortadella, etc (150g)
- 4 oz low moisture mozzarella cheese - sliced or shredded (113g)
Veggie Filling Option
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 oz cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed & thinly sliced
- ½ tsp sea salt & black pepper, each
- ½ green bell pepper, seeded & sliced
- 2 tbsp black olives, pitted & sliced (15g)
- 4 oz sliced or shredded deli cheese like mozzarella, provolone, etc (113g)
Instructions
- If you plan on making the veggie filling: Skip down to the Veggie Filling Option steps below and make that first so it has time to cool while you prep the dough.
- Psyllium Gel: Mix water and psyllium husk together in a medium bowl. Set aside to thicken up as you prep the other ingredients.
- Flour Mixture: Whisk flour, yeast, salt and sugar together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Combine ingredients: Stir the apple cider vinegar and oil into the psyllium gel then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix together until fully combined. Make sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl every so often to get all the floury bits. Mix together until you end up with a thick, smooth, slightly sticky dough that easily clumps together.
- Knead & Divide: Lightly flour your hands and a large piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Place dough on the floured surface and knead until soft and smooth. Divide into two equal sized dough balls. Set one ball aside and cover with a tea towel to keep from drying out while you work with the other.
- Shape: Add a bit more flour to your work surface. Starting with the first dough ball: press down on the dough with your hands to flatten into a rectangular shape then continue flattening and rolling the dough out into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Make sure to lift and turn the dough every so often to keep it from sticking to the paper.
- Garlic Herb Mixture: Mix the olive oil, garlic and parsley in a small bowl, then use a pastry brush or back of a spoon to spread the mixture over the dough. Leave 1-2 inches unbrushed on all four borders so just the middle is covered in the garlic herb mixture.
- Add Meat Filling: Spread half the cheese over the garlic-herb mixture then layer the meat slices evenly over top, followed by the remaining cheese. Add Veggie Filling: Spread half the cheese over the garlic-herb mixture. Add the sautéed veggies (after cooling) and spread out in an even layer and top with the remaining cheese. FYI: Your fillings will shift down as you roll the dough shut - add a little less filling towards the bottom section so you can easily roll the dough up with the fillings securely tucked inside.
- Roll: Fold the empty borders along the short sides and the top long side in slightly over the filling. This will help keep the filling from spilling out in the oven. Start at the top of the long edge and carefully roll the tightly down towards you to form a log with the seam side facing down.
- Transfer, Rest & Preheat: Place each log in the middle of a large, greased or lined, rimmed baking sheet. Loosely cover then place in a warm, draft-free environment for about 1 hour until slightly risen and puffy. After about 45 minutes, start preheating the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Egg Wash: Whisk the egg, parmesan, water (or milk) and Italian seasoning together in a small cup. Brush the mixture all over the surface of the dough. Cut 4 or 5 deep, diagonal slits into the top of the dough to allow steam to escape in the oven.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the bread is golden brown the dough cooked through - internal temperature should be between 190-200°F (88°C-94°C). Rotate the pans and switch the top pan with the bottom pan halfway through to ensure even cooking. Don't be surprised if you notice a lot of grease leaking from the bread - this is from the deli meats and/or cheese.
- Cool & Serve: Cool Stromboli on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then cut into 1-inch slices and serve
Veggie Filling
- Add olive oil to a medium-sized pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook about 3-4 minutes then add the bell pepper. Cook another couple of minutes until the onion and mushroom are tender. Stir in the olives. Set aside and let cool while you prep the dough.
Notes
- Parmesan Cheese: Make sure to use a vegetarian friendly parmesan if you need this to remain meat free.
- Yield: The dough recipe make about 2 lbs of dough - enough to make 2 Stromboli. The meat and veggie filling options are enough to fill 1 Stromboli each. Double the amounts if you want to make 2 Stromboli with the same filling.
- Freeze Dough: If you only want to bake 1 Stromboli today you can freeze half to bake later. After you divide the dough into 2 equal portions, lightly coat the dough ball for freezing with olive oil then wrap up in plastic wrap and place in a freeze-safe zip-top bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight then rest at room temperature for 30-60 before rolling then fill & continue as usual.
- Egg Free: Swap the egg with 1-2 tablespoons cream. You can skip the egg wash totally if you don't mind a pale Stromboli.
- Milk in the egg wash will add a richer, golden brown color than water. It won't effect taste - just appearance.
- Other Filling & Flavor Ideas: Swap the garlic-herb oil with ¼ cup marinara, pizza sauce or pesto. Try different types of cold cuts, deli meats and cheeses. For a lighter, less greasy version you can use chicken or turkey slices. Add sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and fresh herbs. Use any of your favorite pizza toppings. The options are really up to you!
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