Stromboli ...or bread stuffed and erupting with deliciousness!

Did you know that Stromboli was named after the volcanic island located off the coast of Sicily by the same name?  So named because of the way the cheese and fillings erupt from the holes pierced in the rolled Focaccia dough, that you pierce before baking.  I think this is beyond-words-delicious while it's still warm from the oven...but it wasn't too shabby at room temperature, either. 

Stromboli
adapted from Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno

Ingredients:
2 tsp. dry yeast
1 ¼ c. water
3 ½ c. unbleached flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 Tbs. olive oil

For the filling and topping:
8 oz. smoked swiss cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. Prosciutto, sliced thin
4 oz. pepperoni, sliced thin
Handful of fresh basil leaves
~1 tsp. coarse salt
3 sprigs rosemary, stems removed
~1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle yeast into 1 c. of the water, in small bowl.  Leave for 5 minutes to then stir to dissolve. 

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in center and pour in dissolved yeast and the oil.  Mix in flour from sides of well.  Stir in reserved water, as needed, to form a soft, sticky dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth, silky, and elastic...~10 mins.

Pour dough in a clean, oiled bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel.  Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2-2 hours.  Punch down and chafe* for 5 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes. 

Shape into a 14" x 8" rectangle.  Cover w/ clean towel and let rest another 10 minutes.

Spread your cheeses, meats, garlic and basil evenly over dough.  Roll up the dough like a swiss roll, starting at one of the shorter sides, but without rolling too tightly.  Place on oiled baking sheet.  Use a skewer or a carving fork to pierce several holes through the dough to the baking sheet.  Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. of olive oil, salt, rosemary and pepper.

Pretty, huh?

Bake in preheated (400 degrees F) oven for 1 hour, until golden.

Drizzle remaining olive oil over top.  Slice and serve!!

I was pretty proud of myself on this endeavor!!  I wasn't even challenged, assigned, or urged to make stromboli by anything but my own appetite and an ongoing desire to stay in good standing with my new friend yeast.  Oh yeah...this was soooo killer.  Good thing I had help eating it, cuz it was so good I didn't want to stop.  I just kept slicing myself off another helping.

*chafe- forming the dough into a ball by gently cupping your hands around it and applying light downward pressure to the sides, while rotating the dough continuously in a clockwise motion.  Continue until dough is formed into an even round shape.

This Stromboli has been YEASTSPOTTED!
It is also my entry into Bread Baking Day #32: Italian Breads hosted this month at Family & Food & Other Things.