If you are wondering why a pizza with the name of an Italian island, and of the homonymous volcano that lives there, is actually an American creation, do not worry, everything has an explanation and now we will clarify your ideas.

Pizza Stromboli: the origins

Stromboli pizza was born in the Fifties in Philadelphia, in the Essington Pizzeria, which became Romano's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in 1950. Its owner, Roman Nazzareno, who emigrated to America in 1923, had already become famous for his special Tomato Pie, when he was still selling pizza on a walking cart on the streets of Washington Street in southern Philadelphia, but the brilliant invention dates back towinter of 1949. At the time Nazzareno began to experiment with a new sandwich using the pizza dough and stuffing it with Italian salami, peppers and cheeses which he rolled into a sausage.

Initially this sandwich did not have a name, but a local resident and regular customer, William Schoefield, suggested that he call him Stromboli. It was 1950 and the press relentlessly churned out scornful news about the love scandal between the actress Ingrid Bergman is director Roberto Rossellini, fell in love during the filming of the movie Stromboli. The moral outrage of the entire country followed, when Bergman left her husband and daughter for Rossellini and gave birth to a son out of wedlock. Influenced by scandal and international publicity, Mr. Schoefield suggested: "Why don't you call him … Stromboli?" and the name remained!

Stromboli pizza recipe

Stromboli pizza is prepared with the classic pizza dough, which is stuffed with delicious ingredients and then rolled to form a long leavened dough salami. In addition to being very appetizing, Stromboli pizza is reminiscent of the eruption of a volcano, whose lava comes out at every cut showing tomato, stringy cheese and all the flavors of the Italian peninsula. A delicious rolled pizza to be filled according to your tastes and what you have in the refrigerator. This year Stromboli pizza turns 75 and what better way to pay homage to it than to prepare it at home?

Ingredients for the dough

500 g 00 flour
250 ml water
12 g brewer's yeast
10 g fine salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the filling

300 ml of marinara sauce (tomato sauce flavored with garlic and oregano)
Spicy salami, ham, coppa or other cold cuts to taste (choose one)
150 g mozzarella or other stringy cheeses
1 pepper
Basil to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

This is the filling that recalls the original filling, but you can put onions, olives, anchovies or other ingredients to which you are fond, password of "explosion of taste", then unleash your imagination to create the most tasty and delicious combinations but be careful not to mix too many flavors.

Method

To make Stromboli pizza started withdough, then crumble the brewer's yeast in a small bowl with water and mix so that it dissolves. In another large bowl, sift the flour, add the salt, the extra virgin olive oil and add the water and yeast emulsion, start kneading with your hands or with the help of a fork. Continue to knead until a smooth and soft but firm dough is formed, form a ball and place it in a large bowl, cover with cling film or with a damp cloth and place in a warm place, for example the oven turned off with the light on and leave rise for a couple of hours, the volume of the dough must double.

Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients for the filling, fry a clove of garlic in a pan with a drizzle of oil, add the tomato puree and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Cut the pepper and cheese into cubes and the sliced ​​salami.

After the leavening time, place the dough on a floured pastry board and roll out with the rolling pin a rectangular sheet of about 50 x 45 cm. Sprinkle the marinara sauce on the pastry having the foresight to leave a frame of a couple of centimeters. Spread the salami you have chosen over the entire surface and finish with cheeses and peppers. Brush the edges with a little water to close the roll better. To finish perfume the stuffing with basil leaves, rolled up the puff pastry from the longer side and seal the ends well. Transfer the rolled pizza onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the surface with the oil and cook in a preheated static oven at 180 ° C for about 1 hour (if in a convection oven at 160 ° C for 50 minutes). When cooked, take out of the rolled pizza and serve by cutting it into slices.

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