This post may contain affiliate links.
This Stuffed Crust Pizza is pizza night perfection! With melty mozzarella cheese in every bite and a garlic butter glaze, it’s full of flavor and the topping options are endless!
I used to be intimidated by homemade stuffed crust pizza. Not really sure why…it just seemed difficult to consistently make it really GOOD. But when we moved to the farm middle-of-nowhere Iowa, I knew I needed to figure it as pizza won’t get delivered to us. After lots of recipe testing, I’ve got a tried and true recipe that I couldn’t wait any longer to share with you!!!
Why I Love this Recipe
- Having a pizza crust full of extra cheese…there’s just nothing better!!
- Reminds me of the Pizza Hut stuffed-crust pizza – so nostolgic!
- The garlic butter sauce around the warm homemade crust adds so much flavor!
- It’s customizable – you can use your favorite pizza toppings to make it your own!
- Homemade pizza is a great way to get the kids in the kitchen – they can help shape the pizza, top it, etc!
- There are several shortcuts you can use to make it even easier…more on that below!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour – You can use all purpose flour or bread flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content and results in a chewier crust.
- Sugar – Honey would work great, too.
- Instant Yeast – AKA rapid rise yeast
- Warm Water – It’s important that the water is between 105 and 115F.
- Olive Oil – Vegetable oil would work great, too.
- Cheese – I like to use a block of mozzarella cheese as it melts nicer than shredded cheese. Full fat mozzarella or fresh mozzarella (both softer than a regular block) are options, too.
- Pizza Sauce – Store-bought or homemade.
- Pepperoni – Or whatever pizza toppings you love!
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter is great.
- Seasonings – Salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
How to Make an Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza from Scratch
Make the Homemade Dough
Start by mixing the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also mix by hand in a large bowl if you prefer.
Add the warm water and oil and mix until combined. Add additional flour, if needed, but try not to add much as you don’t want the dough to be tough.
Let the mixer run on low for 6-8 minutes to knead the dough or knead by hand.
Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. It’ll raise a bit, but don’t worry if it doesn’t change much in size.
Shape the Dough & Stuff the Crust
Now you’ll stretch the ball of dough into a 14-inch circle and place it on a greased pizza pan.
Then you’ll place the cheese sticks around the outer edge of the crust fold it over.
Once you fold the dough over the cheese, be sure to press it down to seal it in….otherwise you’ll have cheese oozing out of the crust (which is fine, but then it won’t be stuffed crust!).
Top & Bake the Pizza
Spread pizza sauce over the crust then top with your favorite toppings.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven until the edges of the crust are a golden brown.
Make a simple garlic butter glaze and brush it over the warm crust.
Serve the pizza warm with grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes!
Short-Cuts
If you’re low on time, there are a couple ways to save yourself a little time!
- Use a 1 pound loaf of frozen bread dough. This will need to be thawed out ahead of time, so plan accordingly.
- Use string cheese in place of the block-style mozzarella cheese. Though I tend to prefer block mozzarella cheese (sometimes I find string cheese to be slightly rubbery), string cheese can save you a little time in the kitchen!
- Make the pizza ahead of time, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!! Using a pizza stone can mimic a brick-oven style pizza if done right. Here’s how: Place the stone in a cold oven and then warm the oven to 450F. Once the oven is nice and hot, spread a couple tablespoons of cornmeal on the stone and then add the dough, sauce and toppings. Bake at the high temperature until done – it’ll take just 15-17 minutes, depending the size of you pizza.
If the dough feels really sticky (like you can’t even touch it without it sticking to your hands), it needs additional flour. There are so many factors when it comes to baking with yeast breads…the moisture in the air, the altitude, how you measure the flour, etc. It’s fine to add more flour, but don’t overdo it.
You sure can! Lay the pepperoni under the cheese and fold the dough over it.
Pizza Toppings to Try
- Supreme or Deluxe – Pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, diced green pepper, red onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
- Crab Rangoon Pizza – Such a yummy pizza with crab meat, cream cheese, green onions, etc. Adding a cheesy crust makes it just that much better!
- BBQ Chicken Pizza – Use BBQ sauce in place of pizza sauce, then top with diced chicken, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, red onions. Sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with additional BBQ sauce when it comes out of the oven.
- Kelsey’s Favorite – Roasted red peppers (I use the ones from a jar & drain them well), pepperoni, mozzarella cheese & red pepper flakes!
Other Recipes for Pizza Lovers
Stuffed Crust Pizza
Equipment
- 1 pizza pan
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet rapid rise yeast
- 1 cup warm water 105 – 115℉
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese (block style)
Toppings
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 25 slices pepperoni or more, based on preference
Crust Butter Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Add the bread flour (2 1/2 cups), sugar, salt and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Stir to combine.2 1/2 – 3 cups bread flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 packet rapid rise yeast
- Add the warm water and olive oil.1 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Turn the mixer on low and let it knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, adding a little extra flour if needed (if it's super sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but be careful as you don't want the dough to be tough).
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.
- While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400℉, grease a round pizza pan* and gather the toppings.
Stuff the Crust, Top & Bake the Pizza
- Stretch the dough out to a 14 inch circle and place it on the pizza pan.
- Using 6 ounces of the brick of mozzarella cheese, cut it into several pieces that are about 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch by 4 inches (the length will depend on the size of your brick of cheese). They should look about the size of string cheese.6 ounces mozzarella cheese (block style)
- Place the strips of cheese around the outside of the crust and fold the dough over the cheese, pressing down the seal the dough together.
- Once the crust is sealed, spread the sauce on top, remaining mozzarella and pepperoni.1/3 cup pizza sauce, 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, 25 slices pepperoni
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Brush with Garlic Butter Glaze
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, warm the butter until melted.2 tablespoons butter
- Stir in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt.1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Brush over the hot crust and serve!
