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Stuffed Crust Pizza

As if pizza wasn’t already the most craveable food on the planet, some genius put cheese in the crust and gifted us stuffed crust pizza. Here’s my take on this 90s classic.
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 14 minutes
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Ingredients 

DOUGH:

  • 270 g warm water, 86F/30C
  • 5 g instant yeast
  • 35 g sugar
  • 30 g olive oil
  • 450 g AP flour, 11.7% protein
  • 12 g kosher salt

SAUCE:

  • 150 g tomato paste
  • 2 g kosher salt
  • 10 g sugar
  • 1 g black pepper
  • 1 pinch chili flake
  • 1 g garlic powder
  • 1 g onion powder
  • 1 g dried basil
  • 1 g dried oregano
  • 10 g olive oil
  • 150 g water

TOPPING AND STUFFING:

  • 150 g full fat mozzarella, shredded
  • 50 g provolone, shredded
  • 340 g provolone, sliced into 2"/5cm long batons
  • pepperonis, thinly sliced
  • 115 g unsalted butter
  • 5-6 smashed garlic cloves
Metric - US Customary

Instructions 

DOUGH:

    If you're new to making pizza dough from scratch, I recommend watching my YouTube video linked above to familiarize yourself with strength building folds, shaping and stretching the pizzas before beginning this process. 
  • Add ingredients to stand mixer with dough hook and mix on low for 3 minutes or until a dough ball forms. Increase speed to high and continue to mix for 3 more minutes or until dough is slapping around the bowl and doesn't tear when you tug it.
  • Place dough in a bowl, cover, and allow to ferment at room temp for 30min.
  • Perform a strength building fold. Cover and allow to rise at room temp for another 30min.
  • Divide dough into 2 equal (approx 375g) pieces. De-gas dough well by pressing it down then shape into balls.
  • Place each dough ball onto a well oiled tray, cover, and refrigerate for 4-48 hours.

SAUCE:

  • Use an immersion blender to spin all ingredients until broken down and combined.

SHAPING AND BUILDING:

  • Pull out dough to come to room temp about for about 90min.
  • Preheat oven to 550F or highest setting with pizza steel on the bottom 3rd of oven.
  • To make garlic butter, melt butter and garlic together over low heat and allow to infuse for about 1min. Allow to sit off heat while you shape the pizza.
  • Dust dough ball with finely ground cornmeal then place seam side down onto a cornmeal dusted work surface. De-gas dough ball again, then roll out dough into about a 14"/35cm diameter round.
  • Place provolone batons near the edge, all around the outside of the dough. Fold the dough to cover the cheese all around the edge of the pizza. Be sure to seal the dough well to prevent cheese from escaping.
  • Shred and combine the 150g mozzarella and 50g of the provolone.
  • Scoot the shaped dough onto a pizza peel (well-dusted with cornmeal or semolina) then sauce the pizza with about 4 big spoonfuls of sauce spread edge to edge. Use more than you would put on a typical pizza.
  • Sprinkle with about 1c or 100g total of the shredded cheese blend. Top with thin sliced pepperonis (or toppings of your choice).
  • Bake on pizza steel for about 6-7min, keeping an eye on the bottom for burning since this crust has a higher sugar content.
  • Brush crust with garlic butter.
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