Homemade stuffed crust pizza.

Stuffed crust isn’t usually my thing, but I had a request for one earlier this week and figured I’d give it a shot.

I started with a 25-ounce dough ball made with Gold Medal All Trumps unbromated/unbleached flour (green bag). Cold proofed it for 48 hours then stretched it out to about 22 inches. After putting in the cheese, the final diameter ended up being a full 18 inches. Exactly 8 ounces of Grande whole milk mozzarella, cut into ¼ x ¼ x 4-inch strips went around the edge before folding the crust over.

The base had eight ounces of sauce, twelve ounces of shredded mozzarella, four ounces of Ezzo cup and char pepperoni, and about three ounces of precooked Italian sausage crumble layered under the cheese. I finished it with a dusting of Locatelli pecorino over the sauce, then added fresh basil and grated parmesan after the bake. It went into the Ooni at around 670°F and was done in about 7.5 minutes.

Now, to be honest, I’ve never been a fan of stuffed crust. Chain versions usually turn into a thick, bready cornicione with a blob of half-melted cheese inside, and I end up leaving the “bones” behind when we eat it. To avoid that, I went lighter on the cheese and used a lower hydration dough than what I imagine most places use. The result was surprisingly good. The mozzarella fully melted, soaked into the surrounding dough, and created a soft, flavorful crust that was actually enjoyable to eat. No tough edges, no gummy bites. Just great melt and texture.

I still don’t consider myself a stuffed crust guy, but my wife loves them, and honestly, I’d eat this again. I made some extra sauce for dipping and put it into small dipping cups to serve on the side. According to her, this one’s the new favorite. 😂