Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

I had some leftover roast chicken, and so it became a Buffalo Chicken Stromboli.
(I also made a regular stromboli with pepperoni and sausage - it's on the right.)

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2.7 ounces warm water (75 ml) water, between 100-110°F
• 2.25 teaspoons (7g) instant or active-dry yeast
• 16 ounces sourdough starter (or 8 ounces water and 8 ounces flour) 
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 7.6 ounces (about 1.75 cups or 215g) whole wheat flour
  

Ranch Dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (I used 2 ounces Greek yogurt, and 2 ounces cottage cheese)
  
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped scallions (green part only)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• a shake or two of kosher salt and black pepper
  

Buffalo Sauce:

• 2 ounces hot sauce (I used Texas Pete)
  
• 1 ounce canola oi or melted butter
  
• 1 ounce water 
• 2 tablespoons dried onions
  
• optionally - 1/4 teaspoon each of:  paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper

Buffalo Chicken Filling:

• 8 ounces pre-cooked chicken, shredded
  
• 8 ounces cooked chicken, sliced then and shredded
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1 to 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh scallions (green part only)
• 3 ounces or so ranch dressing
  

Italian Filling:

• 7 to 8 ounces thinly cooked sliced meats (such pepperoni, sausage, Italian cold cuts, deli ham)
• 6 to 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (about 1.5 or 2 cups shredded cheeses, or about 8-10 slices deli cheese, or a mix)
  
• Slice into thin strips: 1/2 pepper and 1/2 onion. Saute in some olice oil until onion is translucent
• 2 tablespoons pepperoncini, chopped
  

Topping:

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/4 cup grated romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions:

1. Add the warm water, yeast, ans sourdough starter together in a stand mixer bowl. Allow to rest a few minutes while gathering/measuring the other dough ingredients.
2. Mix in olive oil,  then mix in flour and salt. 
3. Knead with dough hook on low speed for at least 5 minutes. The dough should feel a little soft, but not too sticky. (Add a little more flour if the dough feels sticky.)
   
4. Slide the dough to the side, lightly grease the mixer bowl with oil or nonstick spray, turning the dough in the bowl to coat all sides in the oil. 
5. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size while you gather the filling ingredients.
6. Ranch dressing: Mix together the ranch dressing ingredients in a small container, let flavors combine while dough rises. (You will use about 2/3 of it in the stromboli.)
   
7. Buffalo sauce: Mix together the buffalo sauce ingredients in a small container
8. Buffalo chicken filling: Combine the chicken, buffalo sauce, and chives.
   
9. Preheat oven to 425°F (204°) about 15 minutes before the dough seems ready.
   
10. Line 1 half sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
11. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide in half. 
12. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each half of dough into a 10×16 inch rectangle.
13. Square off the edges of the dough. Align the long side of the dough with the long side in front of you.
14.  For the Buffalo Chicken stromboli, spread the dough with about 3/4 of the ranch dressing.
    
15. For both strombolis, layer on the meats, veggies, and cheeses for each filling on one dough, leaving a 1 inch border on the bottom and sides and maybe a 1 to 2 inch border on top.
    (The empty border on top allows the fillings to slide a bit when you roll the dough.)
16. Slowly roll each dough into a tight 16 inch log, folding and sealing in the two ends as you roll. Seal the long edge.
17. Carefully transfer each log to lined baking sheet. Pinch or tuck in ends to seal if they became unfolded.
18. Mix together the oregano, basil, sesame seeds and romano cheese.
    
19. Brush each stromboli with egg wash. Sprinkle with the toppings,.
    
20. Using a very sharp knife, cut 3-4 slits into the tops of each log to allow steam to escape. 
21. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. The center of the stromboli should be at least 200ºF (93ºC). 
22. Remove from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cutting board and slicing.
    
    
    
    
23. Serve plain or with pizza/marinara sauce and the remaining ranch dressing for dipping,
    

 

Carole's Notes:

We both liked this! The buffalo chicken version was fun to try - Doug does prefer the regular  version, but I will make the buffalo chicken again when I have lefrover chicken to use up.

The strombolis are filling - this reipe is equivalent to one and a half large pizzas, so maybe 6 good sized servings, maybe more with a large salad!

The base recipe is lightly adapted from https://carolelikesroundfood.blogspot.com/2023/04/stromboli.html and the buffalo chicken fulling from https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/buffalo-chicken-strombolis/