Ecstasy is when you bite into a slice of a cheesy pizza smeared with a hearty tomato sauce and your favorite toppings! The world loves pizza; a savory delight made with leavened dough, tomato-based sauce, cheese, and delicious toppings. Stuffed pizza is a variation of the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that's similar yet distinct! So, let's dig deeper into this delicious blog that's all about the hearty stuffed pizza.
Pizza is originally in Italy, but you'll find several variations of this global favorite in the United States. Ranging from the thin-crust New York style pizza to the world-famous deep-dish pizza pie from Chicago, pizza is a comfort food close to the heart of every American.
If you've ever wondered what the deal about stuffed pizza is, and why it's so popular among pizza lovers, we're here to tell you more. We've also included a simple and fail-proof stuffed pizza recipe if you'd like to recreate this famous dish at home.
What Is Stuffed Pizza?
The simplest way to define a stuffed pizza would be that it's pizza pie. A sumptuous variation to the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, the stuffed pizza is made and assembled just like a pie.
How Is A Stuffed Pizza Made?
The stuffed pizza begins with deep wall pan that's lined with the pizza dough. The deep dish pan allows for many toppings and loads of cheese to be stuffed in before an additional layer of dough goes over the top. The pie is finished with a generous layer of the pizza sauce and is then baked to perfection. Some pizzerias also sprinkle a parmesan/spice mix to add mild spice and more flavor to the stuffed pizza.
What's The Difference Between Stuffed Pizza And Deep Dish Pizza?
Does Stuffed Pizza Have A Flavored Crust?
What's Special About A Stuffed Pizza?
Should I Give It A Try?
If you're not convinced yet, know that this is a delicious variation of the traditional deep-dish pizza that's filled with goodness in every bite. Stuffed pizza is for anyone who loves the rich buttery texture of a deep-dish pizza crust and the soft gooey consistency of all the mozzarella cheese that goes inside the stuffing.
Though most pizzerias will have their own version of the tomato sauce that goes over the stuffed pizza, the sauce over a stuffed pizza is smooth and doesn't contain chunks of tomatoes. A stuffed pizza has the robust flavors of the tomato sauce, since it contains the most amount of tomato sauce among all pizza varieties.
If you love a savory pie with all the goodness of your favorite pizza, you'll love the stuffed crust pizza.
How To Make Stuffed Pizza
The stuffed pizza recipe here uses onions and sausage as stuffing. You can modify the stuffing based on what you like. Pay close attention to making the pizza dough perfectly, as the soul of a stuffed crust pizza lies in the soft buttery texture of the crust.
This is a freezer friendly recipe, so go ahead and freeze leftovers to enjoy pizza dinner on a busy weeknight. You can use store-bought pizza dough to make this recipe. We strongly recommend making the dough at home for that fresh and earthy flavor, and the perfect buttery and flaky texture. We've also included the recipe from made-scratch pizza sauce.
Ingredients For Making The Crust
Ingredients To Make The Pizza
Method For Making The Crust
- 1Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a bowl.
- 2Add lukewarm water and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Combine the dry and wet ingredients using a stand mixer. If your dough is sticky, adding additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, will help.
- 3Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead with your hands once more into a smooth, firm ball.
- 4Grease a large bowl with little olive oil, add the prepared dough, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- 5Place the bowl in a warm area and allow it to rise. You'll know that your pizza dough is ready when it doubles in size. This should take about an hour.
Method For Making The Stuffed Pizza
- 1Preheat your oven to 450 degree F.
- 2To make the stuffing, mix sausage, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, salt, and Italian herbs of your choice in a bowl.
- 3Lightly grease a deep dish pizza pan and press down half the dough at the bottom and sides of the pan.
- 4Bake the first layer in the pre-heated oven for 4-5 minutes. For a crunchy texture to your stuffed pizza, sprinkle about 3-4 spoons of cornmeal onto the greased pizza pan.
- 5Next, add the stuffing to the bottom crust and cover with the top with another layer of the dough. Seal the edges with your fingers and trim out any excess dough.
- 6Use a sharp paring knife to cut 6 to 8 slits on top of the pizza. This prevents the stuffing from becoming soggy, and also helps retain the flaky texture of the crust.
- 7Top generously with tomato sauce. You can also sprinkle Italian seasoning over the tomato sauce and brush olive oil on the edges of the crust.
- 8Bake on the lower rack at 450 degree F for 40-45 minutes until the top crust acquires a rich golden hue.
- 9Remove from the oven, allow the stuffed pizza to stand for 5 minutes, cut and serve.
- 10Spoon some warm tomato/marinara sauce on a serving plate. Place a slice of the stuffed pizza over the sauce.
Recipe For Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- 1In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Throw in the minced garlic and chopped onions, and sauté till the onions turn translucent.
- 2Add the chicken broth and cook until the mixture reduces to half.
- 3Add the crushed tomatoes.
- 4Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- 5Stir in the sugar, dried oregano, and fresh basil leaves.
- 6Simmer on low flame until the sauce thickens.
Conclusion
Photo by Sydney Troxell from Pexels
A stuffed pizza is a true tribute to the world's favorite comfort food – pizza. The next time you're craving pizza we'd suggest you give stuffed pizza a try! You'll be bowled over the richness of its double-crust, the gorgeous flavor of the earthy tomato sauce, not to mention the sheer joy biting into beautifully melted cheese.
With our recipe, you can make this wonderful pizza variety at home, and feed your family a filling meal, at a lower cost than ordering a take-out. Our recipe for stuffed pizza is highly customizable: add your favorite toppings to enjoy restaurant-style pizza at home. We do recommend paying special attention to making the pizza dough perfectly. A crisp thick crust is vital to making a sumptuous stuffed pizza.
Featured Image: Image via Pexels
