15,000 to 20,000 Prosciutto Breads at Christmas? This New Jersey Deli Goes Out of Bounds

“If you lived in a 5-mile radius of this place, you could rip your kitchen out of your house and make an extra bedroom because you don’t need a kitchen.”

That’s Guy Fieri’s verdict on Dolce & Clemente’s in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey — and after watching owner Joe Clemente build their legendary “Out-of-Bounds” Prosciutto Bread from scratch, it’s hard to argue.

Old-School Italian Roots Run Deep

This isn’t some newcomer playing dress-up. Joe Clemente started in the business at nine years old at his family’s Clemente’s Italian Market in Brooklyn. His father-in-law, Frank Dolce, grew up working at Dolce Meats starting at eight years old. After Joe spent time as a New York City cop, he and Frank joined forces to create what Guy calls a “mother of a market, deli, and restaurant.”

The result? More than 100 fresh, home-cooked items every single day — from sauces to salads to giant specialty dishes called catelli. If you appreciate spots with serious generational know-how, like that 100-Year-Old Italian Spot in NYC, Dolce & Clemente’s is cut from the same cloth.

Building the “Out-of-Bounds” Prosciutto Bread

Guy called this his “most favorite thing” at the shop, and watching it come together shows why. The stuffing goes in layers: first prosciutto, then ham, then ground mortadella (Guy joked that mortadella should have been his middle name). Next comes sopressata — a recipe Joe says traces back to his grandfather — followed by pepperoni and finally provolone cheese, positioned so it grabs all the meat left inside. A finish of crushed black pepper rounds it out.

The dough is made in-house: water, yeast, salt, and sugar mixed together, then oil, working with high-gluten flour. It mixes for about 10-12 minutes, gets portioned, then rests overnight. The shaping technique is specific — push it down on one side, flip it off, make sure there’s enough on the other side, then fold it over from the outside. Joe emphasized: “It’s not kneading, you just roll it.” Guy dubbed the final shape “the official football of Flavortown.”

Baking happens at 350 degrees for exactly 38 minutes. Not 37. Thirty-eight.

The Payoff

Guy’s reaction said it all: “When you cook these Italian meats and you let all the fat cook into the dough, you just get all the flavor. The depth of flavor in this is massive.” He pointed out the crunchy exterior created by the meat cooking on the outside of the bread, calling it “Stromboli gone wild.”

The finished product gets drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with Locatelli cheese. Guy noted the bread has “a really good kick to it — spicy, a low heat.” He insisted you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

And those holiday numbers? During Christmas season, Dolce & Clemente’s sells 15,000 to 20,000 of these prosciutto breads. All made right there.

Tips from the Transcript

• Let dough rest overnight after portioning — this is how the Clemente family has done it for years
• Position the provolone last so it melts and captures all the meat bits
• Use high-gluten flour for the right texture
• Don’t knead the final shaping — just fold and roll

Guy opened the segment saying he wishes California had more old-school Italian delis like this. For those who appreciate meaty, carb-loaded comfort food done with real technique — like a Cheesy BBQ Pork Chislic Sandwich — Dolce & Clemente’s delivers the goods.

Find Dolce & Clemente’s and other Triple D spots in our restaurant directory.