This Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza recipe makes it simple to have delicious, piping hot pizza in less time than it would take for the delivery guy. It’s got a chewy garlic bread crust on the outside, ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese on the inside, and couldn’t be easier to put together!
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The Best Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza
Our recipe for Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza will bring you right back to the original Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza. All it takes is a simple pizza dough, your favorite pizza sauce and toppings, and a secret ingredient - string cheese.
Making your own stuffed crust is so simple you will absolutely wonder why you haven’t been doing this all along. Check out our step-by-step video with instructions and tips, including how to toss your dough like a pro!
How to Make Pizza Dough - For Beginners
You can purchase premade pizza dough at most grocery stores, but it’s super simple to make at home.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Once your yeast has “proofed,” add the olive oil, salt and about 1 1/2 cups of flour. Using a paddle or dough hook, mix until all the ingredients are completely combined.
- Add in the rest of the flour, about a 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes, then cover and let the dough rest in a warm place for 15 minutes, or until about doubled in size. You can also wrap it tightly and store in the fridge overnight if you want to make your dough a day ahead. That’s all there is to it!
How to Make Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lightly flour the countertop and remove pizza dough from the bowl. Form into a nice, round ball. Using your fingertips, press about 1" from the edges of the dough ball all the way around. Then lift the dough and use your knuckles to carefully spread it out into a thin and even round. Keep using your knuckles to spread out any areas that are a little thick.
- Using both hands, toss the dough making 90" turns (see video for more on this - you can also use a rolling pin if you are more comfortable).
- Place your dough onto your 15" pizza pan (or 18” x 13” baking sheet) and press the edges of your dough out past the edges of the pan by about 1".
- Take your mozzarella string cheese sticks and line them up about ½"-¾” from the edge of your pizza and roll the dough over the top. Pinch down tightly to secure them in place. Continue all around the edge of dough.
- Patch any holes that may have formed by pressing the dough together, and gently press to spread out any thicker areas that you still see.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the stuffed edges of your dough, then sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the sauce. If you are using pepperoni, place the slices evenly over the cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown around the edges. You can also use a spatula or fork to carefully lift up the pizza to check and see if the bottom of your crust is golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Toppings for Pizza
Our family is a pepperoni and cheese family all the way. But it’s also our humble opinion that there are no bad pizza toppings. Yes, we even support pineapple on pizza - whatever floats your boat! Here are a few other ideas:
- Meat Lovers with cooked sausage, diced ham, and grilled chicken
- Margherita style with fresh basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella
- Spinach and Artichoke with artichoke hearts, cooked spinach, and mozzarella cheese
- Veggie pizza loaded with your favorite fresh veggies, red onions, and mozzarella cheese
- Mexican pizza with refried beans, corn, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and a Mexican cheese blend
Sauces for Homemade Pizza
Just like toppings, pizza sauce is really a personal preference. We usually use marinara sauce from a can or jar in a pinch, or you can oftentimes find pre-made marinara sauce in the deli area at your grocery store.
When you have a bit more time, these recipes would all make amazing sauces and spreads for your Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza:
- Make your own Homemade Marinara Sauce!
- Spread a thin layer of Garlic Butter over your crust before adding cheese and any toppings.
- Use Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce to make a white pizza.
- Try using the Homemade Pesto from this Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe.
The Best Cheese For Pizza
String cheese is such a great trick to have up your sleeve because it is already the perfect shape and size. All you need to do is unwrap it! If you don’t have any on hand, the next best option would be either shredded cheese or a block of cheese that you can just cut down into sticks.
If you are looking for a substitute for mozzarella, you can try a three cheese blend.
How to Cook Homemade Pizza
If you want round pizzas, we recommend investing in a pizza wire and an aluminum wide rim pizza pan. Pizza wires help distribute heat evenly, and can be found at restaurant supply stores, or on Amazon.
Another great option is to use a large cast iron skillet or a pizza stone. They both bake very evenly and hold heat well, making for a crispy and chewy crust.
In a pinch, it is also perfectly fine to bake pizza in an 18” x 13” rectangular baking sheet.
What temp to cook homemade pizza
We recommend baking your Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza at 400 degrees F. This is slightly lower than you might cook a regular pizza but this will help make sure it bakes nice and evenly and that the string cheese inside your crust all has a chance to melt.
Every oven is different, so make sure and keep an eye on your pizza the first time you try this recipe, and adjust as you wish!
Tips
- Make the dough a day ahead and keep it wrapped tightly in the fridge overnight.
- Can use a baking sheet if you don’t have a round pizza pan
- Using mozzarella cheese sticks makes stuffing your crust a cinch. You can also use shredded mozzarella or slices of mozzarella if that’s all that you have on hand.
Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1 cup Water warm (95-110 degrees F)
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
Stuffed Crust Pizza
- 10 1 oz Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
- 1 Tablespoon Butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce
- 12 oz Shredded Mozzarella
- 7 oz Pepperoni sliced (optional)
Instructions
To Make the Pizza Dough
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Once your yeast has proofed, add the olive oil, salt and about 1 1/2 cups of flour. Using a paddle or dough hook, mix until all the ingredients are completely combined.
- Add in the rest of the flour, about a 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes, then cover and let the dough rest in a warm place for 15 minutes, or until about doubled in size (or wrap and store in the fridge overnight).
To Make Stuffed Crust Pizza
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lightly flour the countertop and remove pizza dough from the bowl. Form into a nice, round ball. Using your fingertips, press about 1" from the edges of the dough ball all the way around. Then lift and use your knuckles to carefully spread the dough out into a thin and even round. Keep using your knuckles to spread out any areas that are a little thick.
- Using both hands, toss the dough making 90" turns (see video for more on this - you can also use a rolling pin if you are more comfortable!).
- Place your dough onto your 15" pizza pan and press the edges of your dough out past the edges of the pan, by about 1".
- Take your mozzarella cheese sticks and line them up about 1/2" from the edge of your pizza and roll the dough over the top. Pinch down to secure them in place. Add cheese sticks all the way around your entire crust.
- Patch any holes that may have formed by pressing the dough together, and gently press to spread out any thicker areas that you still see.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the stuffed edges of your dough, then sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the sauce. If you are using pepperoni, place the slices evenly over the cheese.
- Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. You can also use a spatula or fork to carefully lift up the pizza to check and see if the bottom of your crust is golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
Here are a few more pizza recipes that we love!
- Grilled Pizza Dough
- French Bread Pizza
- Three Cheese Pesto Flatbread
- Pesto and Sausage Homemade Flatbread
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This Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza recipe makes it simple to have delicious, piping hot pizza in no time. It’s got a chewy garlic bread crust on the outside, ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese on the inside, and can be topped with any of your favorite pizza toppings.
I've been eyeing this on social media! It's so on my list and the video makes it look so easy! Yum!
Thanks Tara! Yes, it's so easy to make and everyone loves it! Hope your family loves it too!