Christmas Stromboli

I am from Western Maryland, just between the Pennsylvania and West Virgina borders, and one of the most popular food items in that area is the Pepperoni Roll. Much of my family in California has never heard of the pepperoni roll, but it's very similar to a Stromboli. I was in the mood to have some of these today because they make me feel at home and what better day for that than Christmas.

I started  with a basic dinner roll, just enough sugar to make the dough barely sweet.

Ingredients

    1 (1/4-ounce) package dry active yeast
    1 cup warm water
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 egg, beaten
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 cup warm milk
    4 ounces melted butter
    5 cups flour, plus more, as needed (I like the better for bread flour for this)
    * Veggies and meat for filling, mozarella cheese
   
Directions

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit until lightly foamy, then stir in sugar and add egg, salt, warm milk, and butter. Slowly add 5 cups flour, adding more as needed to make an elastic dough. Mix well, then roll out to floured surface and knead dough for about 5 minutes.

Place dough in buttered bowl, cover with towel, and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

 For my Stromboli, I sauteed onions, portabella mushrooms, diced poblano pepper, and spinach, seasoned them with sea salt and course ground black pepper, fresh thyme, and fresh italian parsley. I also used Mozzarella, Feta, and Pepper Jack cheeses and I used Salami and Pepperoni for the meat.

Pinch a chunk of dough off, about fist sized, and roll out flat.  Add your fillings (Vegetarian: I added the sauteed veggies + Feta, Meat: I added everything). Begin rolling into a sort of burrito, pushing both ends in as you roll so that the roll is closed.  Butter tops and bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

** Traditional Appalachian style pepperoni rolls are filled with pepperoni and cheese - I always add hot banana pepper rings to mine for fun.

** When sauteing veggies,  add fresh spinach last because it wilts quickly.

** If you spray your hands with PAM before rolling dough, your fingers won't stick to it.