1. Preheat oven to 500° (if using a pizza stone or baking steel) or to 450° (if using a baking sheet).

2. Make the pizza dough*. Set aside and loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel.

3. Roll one portion of pizza dough into a 8″x12″ rectangle on a generously floured countertop. Use fingertips greased with butter to push the dough out. Drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and marjoram.

4. Layer the cheeses, Italian meats, and basil and/or spinach in the center of the dough. (For the stromboli pictured, I layered swiss cheese, prosciutto, capicola ham, salami, fresh mozzarella, mixed greens, and chopped fresh basil).

5. Fold the bottom third of the rectangle up over the filling. (Use a bench scraper to loosen and lift the dough). Fold the top third down. Pinch the seam to seal. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper (either on a pizza peel or baking sheet).

6. Repeat for remaining portions of pizza dough.

7. Brush the tops of the strombolis with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

7. Bake for 10 minutes at 500°, or 12-15 minutes at 450°. Slice and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

*Thin Crust Pizza Dough

• 1 1/3 C flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp yeast

Mix together 1 C of flour and the salt in a small mixing bowl. Combine the yeast and 1/2 C warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Let the yeast/water mixture stand for a couple of minutes, then pour it into the bowl of flour. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir together the wet and dry ingredients. Add the additional 1/3 C of flour and stir/knead until a soft dough forms. Add additional pinches of flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.

Double or triple this recipe for the strombolis. One portion of dough will make one stromboli. (If you triple the recipe, divide the dough into three portions after it is kneaded).