Pepperoni Stromboli: with Bacon of course!

You might be tempted to ask: What the heck is a stromboli? Basically, it's a pizza rolled up into a great big sandwich. If that sounds like something you want to ingest, then keep reading.

That photo looks like an advertisment for Aldi. Obviously we do a lot of our shopping there. Don't judge. You're going to need that stuff and the stuff you can't see; like cornmeal (optional), spaghetti sauce, a baking sheet and an appetite. For a complete list of ingredients and measurements, I've made a google document that you can print out. It's here.

For now, I'm just going to cover the basic steps with some well-timed photography. Join me or starve.

Let me just say here that a kitchen aid is a huge help in this recipe. I used to make bread products without it and honestly I'm not sure how I survived. But you don't have to have one. No biggie. We're not even going to knead the dough. As with any recipe for bread dough, the water needs to be warm. Really warm. But not so hot it will burn you. Unless you're a sissy.

Add the yeast. I use the kind in the jar, but whatever. If you buy the packages 4 1/2 tsp would be 2 packages.

Go ahead and add in the sugar and salt. Let it bubble and get all disgusting looking. It should be disgusting enough in about 5 minutes.

Let's discuss the oil factor again. You can use vegetable oil if that's all you have. But for the love of Mike, do yourself a favor and get some olive oil. It's worth the expense and your arteries will thank you when they get all flushed out and whatnot.

See how's it all bubbly? That's good. Real good.

Time for the flour. Don't be chucking the whole amount of flour in there like some kind of spaz, ok? Start with 2 cups. Flour is a fickle chap and will turn on you if you don't handle it like the delicate baby he is.

When it looks like this, you're getting close. You'll want to continue to add 1/2 cup of flour at a time, then mix. See down at the bottom of the bowl where the dough is sticking big time? That means you need a little more flour.

Now see how it's starting to let go a bit? That means don't add any more flour or your dough will be stiff.

By this point you might be tempted to think this is way too much work. If you are, then go sit in the corner. You need a time out. Once you taste this stuff, you'll be glad you put forth the effort. Once that dough is mixed, roll it out onto a floured surface into a large rectangle about the size of your baking sheet. And before you transfer your big dough rectangle to the baking sheet, there's one step I didn't get a photo of due to gremlins busting my chops. Get some cornmeal and sprinkle it on the baking sheet after you spray it down with cooking spray. The cornmeal makes a really nice texture on the bottom of the crust.

You don't have to have it though. It's not that big of a deal. Just a nice touch.

Once you've put your dough on the sheet, it's time to doctor it up with goodness. Spread the spaghetti sauce down the middle in a big strip. Not all the way to the edges like pizza. Then sprinkle cheese and pepperoni's. It really doesn't matter which order with those two. And lastly, BACON BITS! Use the real ones. If you have to ask why, I don't think we can be friends anymore.

I made this for years without bacon and let me tell you, I always had a strange hole inside me that I just couldn't fill with anything else. A bacon shaped hole. Now I feel complete.

Turn the ends up over the filling.

Then turn the sides up over that and pinch all the edges closed. You don't want any of that goodness leaking out.

On the top, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle bacon bits and oregano into the oil. Oh my.

Throw that puppy into the oven at 375 for about 30 minutes. This is the tricky part. Sometimes it won't take that long. You have to be checking on it like a sneaky toddler that gets too quiet.

Set your timer for 20 minutes and when the whole thing is nice and brown, it's probably ready.

Despite your best efforts, some of the cheese will escape. But it's ok. You can eat those little globs when no one is looking. They're the best.

You don't want it any more brown than this.

See how the cornmeal attaches to the sides and bottom? It's lovely.

When you cut it open down the middle, it should look like this. If by chance the cheese is not melted, don't freak out. There is NO freaking out with stromboli. Just slide the two sides back together and stick it back in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes. I've done it a lot.

This is where you decide if you want to call anyone else in to eat with you. Personally, I could eat way too much of this stuff. I'm limiting my white carbs these days because I find I can go a little nutso with the bread. But every once in awhile, you just need some white carbs. Because maybe it's been a bad day or you're trying to put yourself in a coma.

One night of stromboli will actually do you a lot of good.

for a printable recipe: go here
email me with questions and let me know how it goes!

p.s. there is an alternate way to make this with the frozen bread dough. You would just thaw it out all day, then roll it out like it says up there. But I never have that stuff around because I make my own dough a lot cheaper and simpler. I felt it was only fair to let you in on that bit of information.

Now go forth and conquer.

Love in Him,


**entry for 5 Minutes For Mom Food Fun Contest!