Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli

This Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli may have you wondering, what exactly is Stromboli? It’s basically like a pizza and a sandwich got real cozy and rolled up together into one gloriously crave-able nosh. Think cinnamon roll style but as pizza. Who’s in?

Growing up, my family’s flavor palettes were were wildly different. My dad snubbed most veggies except canned peas (I know). My sister basically only ate foods in the beige spectrum and I took on the role of sole tomato consumer for the whole family. When it came to pizza, however, there was one topping combo that we could all agree on; pepperoni and black olive. Two great tastes that go great together. And evidently have the ability to get a whole family to agree.

I like to think it was the olives that brought us together, like the proverbial olive branch that bestowed peace at dinnertime. It may be a stretch to say that this Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli could be used as a peace offering. But I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be willing to set aside differences for a savory slice of this rolled up peace pie. Something so simple yet significant undoubtably deserves to be celebrated.

October is California Farmer and Farmworker Month

Another call for celebration! Along with our friends California Grown, there are many ways we can honor and thank the hardworking farmers and farmworkers who significantly contribute to our health and well-being. It can be as simple buying fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, wine and nursery items grown in the state of California. If you’re in California, October is an ideal time to visit local farmer’s and let your farmers know how much you appreciate the bounty they bring.

Visit the California Grown website to learn more about California Farmer and Farmworker month and the farms that keep this state and country nourished. You’ll also find a farmload of inspiring recipes that feature California grown products like my Apple Fig and Walnut Crisp or my show stopping Artichoke Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

California farms span the state with over 400 different commodities.

If you take a closer look at your larder, you’ll likely find that a good number of the produce, ingredients and that wine you love so much are likely grown in California. This fertile state grows more than a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of our fruits and nuts! Everything from artichokes to tomatoes, leafy greens and yummy cheeses to table and wine grapes. Even California Ripe Olives, like the olives I use in this Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli are grown in CA.

California produces over 95% of the olives grown in the US

California Ripe Olives are grown on family farms in the inland valleys of California. They don’t all come from one mammoth farm, rather groves ranging from small 5-acre lots to 1,000-acre farms. All lovingly grown with the highest level of care, from planting to harvest by some of the finest stewards of the land.

Olives grow on trees and fall into the drupe category, AKA stone fruits. This classifies olives as a fruit.

Olive trees bloom with small cream colored flowers that typically blossom in may. They continue growing through spring and begin to ripen in summer. Harvest of California Ripe Olives usually starts in early September, while the olives are still green in color and just beginning to darken. The season typically wraps up in mid-November. October being California Farmer and Farmworker Month means olive farmers are in the thick of harvest season right now. Crewmembers are busy harvesting olives as I type this!

Canned California Ripe Olives are brined in water and sea salt.

Once picked, California Ripe Olives go through an essential 7 day slow-cure process to remove bitterness. This is what sets them apart, imparting a uniquely buttery flavor and texture. California is the only state in the U.S. that produces ripe olives for canning. The olives are canned in the simple sea salt and water brine. You can find those cans of California Ripe Olives year-round at your local grocery store and they come in lots of forms; whole, pitted, sliced, chopped, or wedged. Keep an eye out for California or USA origin on the can next time you’re buying olives. For this Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli we use sliced California Ripe Olives, classic.

This Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli is stuffed with flavor but only requires a handful of quality ingredients.

• Pizza Dough – you can use store-bought to make it quicker or you can try my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough, it goes from rise to roll in less than 2 hours. It’s simple, tasty, chewy and easy!
• Garlic Butter – while not a total necessity, it adds a layer of dimension to the filling, imbuing it with rich buttery flavor and a kiss of garlicky goodness.
• Pizza Sauce – but on the side. You really don’t want that Stromboli to get weighed down, so serving a sidecar of sauce is really the way to go. My Simple Pizza Sauce is a devilish match to the spicy peps, earthy olives and creamy cheese in this recipe. What makes this sauce so special? The secret is in the can. California grown and ripened tomatoes taste like the sun. Get my recipe for this tangy, bright flavor bomb sauce.
• Cheese – we can go basic and all in with the stretchy, mild mozzarella here. But I like to add in some provolone for a sharp cut. And always a shower of parmesan, both in the filling and to the top of the Stromboli for a bubbly crispy opportunity. Lucky for us, Real California Milk has every cheese option under the California sun!
• Pepperoni – you can use any style you’d like, but the large deli style pepperoni reign supreme when rolling up the Stromboli. The bigger peps make for easier and quicker rolling.
• California Ripe Olives – the olives are the real hero of this pizza sandwich roll. The buttery texture and earthy, slightly salty brine is the perfect match for the spicy pepperoni. They just belong together. I am a big fan of California Ripe Olives, they are so classic and illicit many happy pizza memories for me. Olive fingers are pure nostalgia, aren’t they?

Combining those fine ingredients, this Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli is a crave-worthy recipe that will have you Stromboli rolling again and again. It may seem like a lot of work but once you’ve got the hang of things, this Stromboli truly is an easy roller. The combo of chewy pizza crust, bubbly cheese, drool-inducing garlic butter, earthy olives and spicy pepperoni is a savory smorgasbord of textural flavor fulfillment.

How to shape, stuff and roll up this savory and satisfying Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli.

Once you’ve stretched your Quick and Easy Pizza Dough, it’s time to start stuffing that Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli.

A Stromboli rolls up similarly to a cinnamon roll. Roll with it!

Just a few more steps and the Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli is ready to hit that heat.

This Pepperoni Black Olive Stromboli recipe is a fun bake that makes the most of simple, quality ingredients. Make it for a fun family dinner or serve it as a savory appetizer alongside a juicy red wine. And always serve it with a sidecar of my Simple Pizza Sauce or your favorite Ranch Dressing, if you’re into that. It’ll be a party however and wherever you serve it!

Don’t forget the simple pizza sauce, boss.

This post was proudly made in partnership with California Grown. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting me and the brands that I love. Follow @cagrownofficial on Instagram to learn more about the foods grown in California, farm practices, and discover new recipes!

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