Ham, Soppressata and Two-Cheese Stromboli

• Recipe by Tom Valenti

As the child of Italian parents, Tom Valenti recalls a refrigerator permanently stocked with charcuterie, cheese and preserved vegetables like peperoncini, olives and roasted peppers. "My memory swept up all of those ingredients and rolled them up in pizza dough," he says. This hearty stromboli, stuffed with several kinds of Italian meats and cheeses, is easy to reheat—or enjoy cold—for a late-night snack.

Ingredients

1. All-purpose flour, for dusting
2. Two 1-pound pieces of pizza dough
3. 1/2 pound thinly sliced Black Forest ham
4. 1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone
5. 1/2 pound thinly sliced hot or sweet soppressata
6. 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 4-by-3/4-inch sticks
7. 12 large basil leaves
8. 8 ounces roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and cut into 1/2-inch strips
9. 2 peperoncini, stemmed and finely chopped
10. 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
11. 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the pizza dough to a 14-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. With a long side facing you, layer half each of the ham, provolone and soppressata across the bottom half of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the bottom. Arrange half of the mozzarella strips across the soppressata. Top with half each of the basil leaves, roasted red pepper strips and chopped peperoncini. Loosely roll the dough around the filling and pinch the seams together to seal. Fold in the sides. Transfer the stromboli to a lightly oiled baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings and place the stromboli on a second lightly oiled baking sheet.
2. Brush the strombolis with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Make five 1-inch diagonal slashes across the top of each stromboli to allow steam to escape. Bake the strombolis for about 40 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead

The strombolis can be refrigerated overnight. Serve cold or wrap in foil and rewarm in the oven.