Make Your Own Stuffed Pizza Crust, But Learn This Technique First

If you're a cheese-a-holic, then you know that the best part of a pizza is every ooey gooey melty bite of mozzarella and more. Take that cheesy goodness all the way to the edge and then keep going by stuffing the crust of your pizza with an extra bit of your favorite cheese. Though many believe Pizza Hut invented stuffed crust in the 1990s, the 1987 patent filed by a man named Anthony Mongiello would suggest otherwise. Regardless of who did it first, the stuffed crust pizza is steeped in takeout lore and something you can easily replicate at home. Starting with a simple Neapolitan pizza dough recipe, the easiest way to add cheese to your crust is by using whole string cheeses, making sure to tuck the crust in around your chunks of cheese as tightly as possible to get a good, firm seal so the cheese doesn't leak out in the baking process.

No matter what type of dough you're preparing, the most important tips for making crust involve getting the right consistency and texture for an unforgettable pie. Although string cheese is the most convenient method for adding a significant amount of melty cheese to your pizza crust, you can just as well shred fresh cheese and mix it with your favorite herbs and spices and then add a ring of this around the outer edge of your pizza dough before carefully folding it over. Just remember to tuck it tight!

With so many different styles of pizza and flavor combinations to choose from, you can make a stuffed crust pizza that's fully customized to suit your preferred tastes and toppings. Consider first the type of dough you're working with. Whether you're making a beer-based pizza dough recipe or a quick and easy two-ingredient crust, the most important technique to get proper stuffing is folding and tucking the crust in tightly to keep the cheese from leaking out. As a note, it is possible to make a keto-friendly stuffed crust pizza, for which you will also need to be mindful of firmly sealing your dough around the cheese stuffing.

Once you've got the technique masters, to make a truly innovative stuffed crust pizza, it's all about a willingness to experiment with new and different flavor profiles. For example, while a traditional margherita style pizza would be best with a mozzarella stuffed crust, imagine how melted chunks of a smoky gouda would taste when stuffed into the crust of a barbecue chicken pizza. If you like to turn up the heat, grate a ring of pepper Jack cheese for your stuffed crust and add a sprinkle of paprika or cayenne pepper. There's no limit to the creativity you can bring to the round table with a properly made stuffed crust.