Stuffed pizza is a Chicago specialty, but it has legions of devoted fans all over the world. An extreme variety of deep dish pizza, stuffed pies take that concept to the limit by packing in several layers of toppings and a generous amount of cheese between two homemade crusts. It's quite a commitment to make a stuffed pizza entirely from scratch, but a piping hot slice of the pie straight from the oven is proof that the effort is worth it.
Step 1
Follow your favorite recipe for pizza dough or pick up some pre-made dough at the store. To make a single stuffed pizza, you'll need about 1 1/2 lb. of dough.
Step 2
Divide the pizza dough into two pieces, one larger than the other. The larger ball of dough should be about 3/4 of the total amount, according to King Arthur Flour, and the smaller piece of dough should be about 1/4.
Step 3
Sprinkle your work surface with about 1/4 cup flour. Roll the larger piece of dough into an even circle that is about 15 inches in diameter. Roll the smaller piece of dough into a circle that's about 9 inches in diameter.
Step 4
Cover each piece of dough with plastic wrap and let the dough circles rest for about 15 minutes.
Step 5
Press your large circle of dough into the deep dish pizza pan, carefully hanging any extra dough over the edges.
Step 6
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 7
Add fillings to the stuffed pizza. Try one layer each of sausage, mozzarella cheese, cooked spinach, mushrooms and sautéd bell peppers.
Step 8
Top the pizza with the smaller circle of dough. Fold over the edges of the large circle and press them in so the two crusts join together.
Step 9
Poke several slits into the top piece of dough with a sharp knife.
Step 10
Spread about 1/2 cup pizza sauce on top of the dough and sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
Step 11
Bake the pizza for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Tips and Warnings
- If you want a healthier stuffed pizza with more veggies and less fat, cut the meat in the filling and use greens instead. "Gourmet" magazine's February 2007 issue suggests stuffing a single pizza with about 20 cups of fresh escarole, chopped and cooked down until tender.
- Stuffed pizza is an indulgence. According to All Recipes.com, one-fifth of a 9-inch pizza has more than 700 calories, 30 g fat, 1,600 mg sodium, 75 g carbohydrates and 30 g protein.
Things You'll Need
- 1.5 lb. pizza dough
- 1/4 cup flour
- Rolling pin
- 9-inch deep dish cake pan or pizza pan
- Topping ingredients
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Knife
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