Homemade Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizza Recipe
There are many ways to make pizza, but there is nothing better than putting a little extra on the pizza. This is a guide on how to make a homemade stuffed crust pepperoni pizza recipe.
Pizza Hut initially made the stuffed crust pizza, and it took over the pizza industry like wildfire. It reduced the number of wasted crust edges as it is a tasty pizza all the way.
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Many people often leave the crust edges behind because it is either bland or too thick or both.
The invention of stuffed crust pizza, which changes as the cheese, gives it an amazing twist.
While it sounds like a lot more process involved in the already tedious process of making pizza, it is a very easy pizza to make, and the best way to do it is to make one at home.
There are no specific ways to make this kind of pizza, but generally, it is just like making any regular pizza. So if you have a background in making pizza, then this will be a piece of cake.
Read on as we get into the details of how to make the perfect stuffed crust pepperoni pizza at home. We will start by seeing what you need for this recipe and get to the recipe itself right on.
What You Need: A Lot Of Cheese
You will need to get a lot of cheese for both the toppings and the stuffing for this recipe. You can use any type of cheese, but it is better to have a source of stringy or melted cheese.
The best one that I have tried so far is the stringy cheese, as it helps hold the crust’s edges. It is also easier to manage, and it does not necessarily ruin the pizza crust’s crispiness.
Another benefit that you get from stringy cheese is getting them at the right size for this recipe. They have the perfect width, length, and girth that you can fold into the edges of the crust.
They create the perfect pockets for that creamy bite on the edge of the pizza. You will only need around seven pieces of string cheese for a decent-sized pizza for the family or a small group.
If you do not have that option or are not a fan of string cheese, you can use shredded mozzarella cheese. Just create thin piles of shredded mozzarella on the edges of the dough.
You can also use fresh mozzarella and cut them into smaller pieces. The dough is also important since you need to make one stretchy enough to give that gooey melt.
You also need some extra cheese for the toppings, and you can get any kind of cheese that you like.
The toppings are pepperonis, and you can also get your favorite type of pepperoni for this.
There are many different doughs available on the market, but I would still suggest making one at home.
There, you can control the ingredients you use and some healthier ones if you want.
Procedure
Step 1: Prepare The Dough
You can follow the basic instructions for making the pizza dough from a guide that you have or get it online. To make it stretch more, you can add a little more yeast than mentioned in the recipe but do not overdo it.
Stretch and knead the dough with your hands, or you can use a small pan to guide the dough to make a circular shape. Do not push the middle of the dough into the edges, as it will thicken up.
Just make an evenly spread dough with the edges having the same thickness as the middle part.
Compared to regular pizzas, your dough should have a thinner edge for the cheese.
Step 2: Preheat The Oven
Once you have prepared the dough, set it aside for a little bit and then preheat the oven while doing so.
Set the temperature to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and leave it there while waiting.
If you are using a pizza stone or baking steel, you will also need to preheat it with the oven.
This will help the oven create a more even temperature inside and create a crispy crust on the pizza.
This temperature is far lower than the standard temperature to make authentic pizzas, but you will need it to be at this temperature so that the cheese will melt slowly inside the crust.
Step 3: The Stuffing
While waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature, get back to the dough and then create a lip by lifting the edges. You can create this as well by making some dents on it.
So if you have accidentally pushed the edge to a thicker one, you do not have to worry as you can create the dents with your finger to make space for the cheeses for the stuffings.
Arrange the string cheese around the edges, leaving about an inch of space or 3/4 inch.
Fold the edges with your fingers and then tuck them in to make sure the cheese will not leak out of it.
This is necessary as the cheese needs to be inside, or else it will ruin the crust’s crispiness.
If it is hard to fold, let the dough rest for a couple of minutes and then try it again.
Step 4: Top And Cook
Once you have folded the cheeses into the edges of the crust, top the pizza dough with your favorite pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and then the pepperonis distributing them evenly.
You can also opt for a little bit of seasoning on top of the pizza.
Once done with that, you can then bake the pizza in the oven if it has reached the desired temperature inside it.
Cook the pizza for 14 to 16 minutes at the set temperature.
The crust should start to get lightly brown, and the cheese on the toppings should start bubbling, but the browning is optional.
If you want to make sure that the cheese inside the crust melts, it is better to go with the slightly browned crust. Remove the pizza once the cheese on top is melted and browned crust.
Slice the pizza and then serve it immediately. Store some of the leftovers in a sealed container and put it in the fridge so that you can reheat it whenever you want a stuffed crust pizza.
How Long To Store Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizza
If you have some leftover pizza from the one you cooked, you can store them in the fridge or the freezer.
Place them in a sealed container and then put the pizza slices in the refrigerator.
If you do that, the pizza will last for four days in the refrigerator, but beyond that, it is better to make a new one as bacteria would have started to develop inside the pizzas.
If you put it in the fridge, make sure you wrap each slice with aluminum foil first to prevent freezer burns.
Place them in a sealed container once again and then into the freezer.
Putting the pizzas in the freezer will make them last longer for up to a month.
You can reheat them in a pan or the oven again whenever you want a delicious snack.
Conclusion
Stuffed crust pizza is a great way to make sure that the kids eat the crust’s edges and not waste food. It puts flavor to all parts of the pizza, so nothing goes to waste.
You can easily make one at home as it does not require any special tool or ingredients. Just make sure that you do the right way of keeping the cheeses sealed on the crust’s edges.
From there, you can bake it like any other pizza and start enjoying your delicious stuffed crust pepperoni pizza!
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