Gluten-free Stromboli Pizza
gluten-free | dairy-free option | tree nut free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Aug. 14, 2025
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This gluten-free stromboli pizza will be your new go-to recipe for pizza night on the homestead! It involves a soft, fluffy pizza dough that is easy to work with and doesn’t let all your pizza fillings leak out when baked. Inside, the stromboli is loaded with melty cheese and your favorite thin-sliced meats. It makes the perfect dinner meal that modern pioneers of all ages will love! Plus, the leftovers are easy to pack as an on-the-go meal or they can be frozen to be enjoyed later!
Modern Pioneer Recipe
Stromboli is certainly a modern pioneer recipe. A quick glance at the ingredients might convince you that stromboli is an all-Italian food, but it actually originated in America! According to one resource, stromboli was invented in Pennsylvania and is considered a type of turnover.
Many recipes have taken a shortcut for making stromboli by using store-bought pizza dough or other pre-made bread dough options for creating the fluffy crust that encases the pizza fillings. But this modern pioneer recipe will have you make everything from scratch! Making your own stromboli bread dough is easy when you use this simple recipe. It is very basic and just requires some high-quality gluten-free flour, salt, yeast, a teeny bit of sugar (for the yeast), an egg, oil, and warm milk.
The simple ingredients make this stromboli a meal that everyone can enjoy, even if you have dietary restrictions. This stromboli can be made….
- gluten-free
- corn free
- nut free
- dairy-free
- soy free
This recipe is super easy to make (no sticky dough!) and full of flavor (no flavor-less pizza crust). You can easily customize the pizza fillings to ensure it will be a meal the whole family will enjoy. And, while it may seem more complicated to make a stromboli loaf instead of just patting out a pizza crust, you might be surprised at how quickly this stromboli comes together!
How to Fold Stromboli Pizza
Making stromboli is like a combination of making pizza ‘cinnamon’ rolls, calzones, and a French bread. It involves rolling out the dough into a rectangle, layering on the pizza toppings, rolling the dough into a log and tucking in the ends, then brushing the resulting pizza ‘loaf’ with an egg wash or oil.
Here’s a little step-by-step for making stromboli pizza:
- Make the Dough– Make the pizza dough by following the instructions in the recipe card included in this post. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but lightly flouring the dough and your work-surface should make it easy to work with.
- Press into a Rectangle– I like to use my hands for this part so that I can get a nice even rectangle. The exact size of the rectangle is not too important, you just don’t want a square. You also want the dough to be a little over 1/4″ thick.
- Add the Toppings: Next you will add the toppings. The key is to keep a 3/4″ border around the edges of the rectangle free from toppings. One of the long sides of the rectangle should have about a 2″ border so ensure the stromboli dough can seal properly.
- Roll the Rectangle: Now you will roll the rectangle starting at the long edge that has a 3/4″ border and rolling towards the long edge that has a 2″ border. Roll the dough much like you are making cinnamon rolls.
- Seal the Stromboli: To keep all the fillings from leaking out, gently press the seam of dough together and roll the dough log so that the seam is underneath the log. Tuck the ends tightly under the log. You can dab the seams with water to help seal off the dough as well.
Still sound too complicated? Then maybe my gluten-free fluffy pizza crust is for you instead! If you need a grain-free pizza option, then you should definitely try this grain-free pizza dough recipe.
Recipe Questions
My dough is too sticky, what should I do?
When you are mixing the dough in a stand-mixer, you should see a gradual change in the dough consistency take place. As the yeast starts to activate, the dough will become more soft, stretchy, and smooth. Make sure you allow the dough to be mixed for at least 3-5 minutes. This helps the moisture in the dough to be absorbed and creates a smooth, soft dough.
The dough may feel slightly tacky to the touch. However, if it is all out sticky (sticking to the bowl, your spatula, and your hands), you can knead in a little flour at a time using your hands or a spatula until a smooth, workable dough forms. Make sure you flour the surface you roll the dough out on to prevent sticking as well.
Can I make this stromboli dairy-free?
Yes! The recipe calls for avocado oil (melted coconut oil or olive oil can also be used) and you can easily use dairy-free milk for the warm milk in the recipe. I have used both oat milk and almond milk in this recipe before. Dairy-free cheeses also work nicely inside the stromboli since the steam within the dough helps melt the dairy-free cheese perfectly.
How long should I let the stromboli proof for?
Even though this recipe calls for yeast, it is still a quick and easy to recipe to whip together! I use dry active yeast in the recipe and the yeast doesn’t have to be proofed ahead of time. Although, if you suspect your yeast may be old, you might want to sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk mixture prior to adding it to the dough. If the yeast bubbles and froths within 5-10 minutes then you know the yeast is good to use.
This recipe also doesn’t require a double-proof! Once you have shaped the stromboli, you will want to cover the stromboli with an oiled piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and allow it to rest in a warm location for 20-30 minutes (during which you can pre-heat your oven). After this single proofing time, the pizza is ready to be baked!
What should I serve with stromboli?
Stromboli is commonly served with some sort of tomato-based dipping sauce. My favorites include homemade marinara sauce or homemade salsa. I also like to serve stromboli with small side salads using fresh greens harvested from the homestead garden. Homegrown lettuce, carrots, and a handful of roasted nuts makes a nice salad, especially when topped with homemade ranch dressing!
One important note to make about serving stromboli is the importance of allow the stromboli to rest for a few minutes after it has been baked. You may be nervous that the stromboli will cool down, but inside will still be piping hot. The resting period allows the cheese to solidify and not come gushing out when you slice into the stromboli.
Tips for Assembling the Stromboli:
When assembling the stromboli, you can use whatever pizza toppings you like best! Traditional stromboli often includes layers of thinly sliced meats, but you can also make a plain cheese stromboli, veggie stromboli, or Hawaiian stromboli!
The key to assembling the stromboli is not to over-stuff the stromboli. Follow the amounts listed in the recipe card for the amount of cheese, sauce, and toppings to use. Too much cheese can lead to the melted cheese bursting through the stromboli bread and leaking out. Too many extra toppings will make the stromboli hard to roll and can also lead to the dough breaking or bursting apart when baked.
This gluten-free stromboli pizza is super easy to make and bursting with pizza flavor! The fluffy gluten-free dough perfectly encloses the melty cheese and savory meats for deliciousness in every bite!
Gluten-free Stromboli Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 c. + 1 T. gfJules gluten-free breakfast baking flour
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 T. organic cane sugar or honey
- 1/2 c. + 2 T. warm milk (100-110℉) can be dairy-free
- 1 medium pasture-raised, organic egg
- 2 T. avocado oil
- 1/3 c. organic, homemade pizza sauce
- 1 1/2 c. shredded dairy-free cheese, mozzarella
- organic, uncured pepperoni
- organic garlic salt
- organic sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Place the milk and sugar/honey in a small saucepan and heat the milk over medium heat until it reaches 100-110℉. Stir periodically so that the sugar dissolves.
- Add the flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano to the bowl of a stand-mixer. Mix on low with the paddle attachment.
- Add the egg, oil, and warm milk. Mix on low speed. While the mixer is running, add the yeast granules. Once combined, turn the mixer up to medium speed and allow the dough to mix for 3-5 minutes.
- The resulting dough should be smooth, soft, and slightly tacky to the touch. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Lightly flour your hands and transfer the dough onto the floured work surface.
- Pat the dough into a rectangle. The exact size is not too important, but you don't want a square and you want the dough to be just a little over 1/4" thick. Aiming for a 10×16" rectangle is a good place to start.
- Once the rectangle has been shaped, layer on the sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and garlic salt. Leave a 3/4" rim around the outside of the rectangle that is free from any toppings. On one of the long sides, leave at least a 2" rim.
- Starting on the long side that has a 3/4" rim, start rolling the dough like you would for cinnamon rolls. Roll it as tight as possible, shoving the toppings back under each roll of dough as you work. As you roll, the toppings will probably push into the 2" rim on the other long side, but just make sure there is at least a 1/2" rim left by the time all the dough has been rolled into one log.
- Roll the dough log so that the seam is on the bottom of the stromboli loaf. Tuck either end of the loaf tightly under the stromboli loaf. You can press the seams with warm water to further help them seal. Transfer the stromboli onto a pizza stone or parchment-lined baking pan.
- Cover the stromboli with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Set it in a warm area to proof (67-75℉) for 20-30 minutes. While the stromboli is proofing, preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Once proofed, uncover the stromboli and brush it lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle on more garlic salt, sesame seeds, and dried herbs if desired.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. The outside should turn golden brown and feel firm to the touch. If the stromboli is not browning or seems too dry, brush the loaf with more olive oil during baking or immediately after it comes out of the oven.
- After removing the stromboli from the oven, allow it to cool for 15-30 minutes. The longer you let it cool, the less messy your slices will be as the cheese has time to set-up.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for later!
Where to Find the Ingredients:
- gfJules gluten-free breakfast baking flour
- Simply Organic onion powder
- Simply Organic garlic powder
- Bob’s Red Mill active dry yeast
- Wholesome organic cane sugar
- Primal Kitchen avocado oil
- Organic sesame seeds
- Supplies: 12″ pizza stone, Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, small saucepan
This gluten-free stromboli pizza is the perfect combination of fluffy pizza dough, melty cheese, and savory pizza toppings. When you slice into this stromboli, every slice will be loaded with pizza goodness! The homemade, from-scratch stromboli dough is soft and simple to work with, which makes assembling the stromboli loaf easy and mess-free. Once baked, the deeply browned crust can be cut into slices and enjoyed plai, or dipped into your favorite homemade salsa. Stromboli will take pizza night on the homestead to a whole new level!
Looking for more ways to live like a modern pioneer? Make sure you get our modern pioneer starter package that will give you a good place to start on building a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle!
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