Ham and Cheese Stromboli

Here's another leftover rescue recipe that I like to make the day after a baked ham dinner. We had a dijon and brown sugar glazed ham the previous night and managed to salvage enough of the ham to make this simple but delicious stromboli for supper last evening.

Makes 2 stromboli, serves 6-8.

Stromboli Dough:
3-4 cups all purpose flour
1 packet instant yeast
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tsp sea salt

Mix dry ingredients together except for one cup of the flour. Add the warm water and mix very well with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until dough forms. Remove to a floured breadboard or your counter top and knead for an additional 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest for ½ hour, covered in a warm place. Knead again for 5 minutes and split dough into 2 portions and allow to rest for 20 minutes before rolling your dough into the desired size; for Stromboli, roll into about a 12 inch square.

Preheat a pizza stone in a 450 degree F oven for ½ hour.

Add the filling to the stromboli beginning with the cheese, layering the filling ingredients down the center line of the dough.

1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, per stromboli
1 pound thinly sliced ham, per stromboli
Olives or sundried tomatoes make tasty additions if you like. Dijon mustard or garlic oil brushed on the dough is also very good.

Bring the edges of the dough to the center of the stromboli, covering the filling. Pinch the dough edges and ends together to seal. Gently roll the entire stromboli onto a cornmeal covered wooden pizza peel so that the seam is on the bottom. Cut 3 one inch slits, evenly spaced, in the top of the stromboli dough for venting. Shake the peel to make sure the stromboli moves freely on the cornmeal.

Slide the stromboli onto the hot stone, shaking it slightly in a back and forth motion as you slowly retract the wooden peel. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is evenly golden brown.Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into individual servings.