Cheese Stuffed Pizza Crust

Who doesn't love cheese stuffed pizza crust? It's like a little prize at the end. It's also a big hit with the kids. They love it when I make my home made pizza with stuffed crust. And it's EASY to do.

Ingredients:

4-5 mozzarella cheese sticks

Pizza dough (try this one: http://theyankeesouthernbelle.blogspot.com/2010/05/whole-wheat-pizza-crust.html)

Directions:

(1) Shape your pizza dough onto your pan, making sure to allow the dough to hang over the edge of the pan.

(2) Take a cheese stick and slice in half lengthwise. Place cheese stick halves around the edge of the crust. Continue to do this until the entire circumference of the pizza dough is filled.

(3) Take the dough that is off the pan and wrap around each cheese stick to form the crust. Seal edges.

(4) Begin to preheat oven to 425. While oven is preheating bake the pizza crust for 5-7 minutes to firm up.

(5) Top with sauce and other toppings. Bake for 15 minutes longer.

Aunt Debbie's Pizza Dough

My mother-in-love made this homemade pizza dough a few years back and it's another one of our go-to homemade pizza crusts. Only we like to stuff the crust with cheese!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 Tbsp. sugar or honey

1 cup warm water

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup flour

Directions:

(1) In a large mixing bowl combine the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle packet of yeast over top of water and let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast mixture is nice and foamy.

(2) Stir in 1 cup of flour and oil.

(3) Add 1 1/2 cup flour until dough has a nice consistency. Kneed until smooth. Place in a lightly greased bowl until double (about 1 hour).

(4) Bake on a lightly greased pizza pan that has been sprinkled with corn meal in a 425 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Helpful Hints:

(1) To stuff your crust you'll need 3-4 string cheese sticks. Unwrap cheese and slice down the middle to double the amount of cheese you have. Place cheese at crust end and roll dough over cheese.

(2) I have found that to make this really awesome I will prick the crust with a fork and place in the oven while it's preheating for about 5 minutes. This kind of sets the dough so when I add the toppings the middle of the pizza isn't soggy.

Flat Bread Pizza Crust

This is a easy recipe for making a flat bread pizza. It's also great on the grill.

Ingredients:

1 cup hot water

1 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 envelope rapid-rise yeast

2 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

(1) Whisk water, oil, sugar and yeast in large bowl. Let rise 5 minutes.

(2) Add flour, Parmesan cheese and salt. Combine until dough forms a nice ball.

(3) Turn dough onto floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times until cohesive.

(4) Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

(5) Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Working with 1 part at a time, press into a small circle.

(6) Using a rolling pin, roll and stretch dough to form a 9-inch circle. Repeat with remaining dough.

(7) If using the oven - preheat to 400. Place the 9-inch dough circle onto the parchment lined baking sheet and bake in preheat oven for 5 minutes.

(8) Remove from oven and top as desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

(9) If using a grill - Heat grill to 400. Brush tops of 2 dough rounds lightly with oil. Place rounds oiled side down. Grill, covered, until undersides are spotty brown and tops are covered with bubbles. Poking large bubbles with tongs, 3-5 minutes. Brush each lightly with oil and flip. Top each round with toppings. Grill, covered until undersides are spotty brown and cheese is melted.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

A healthy whole wheat crust that comes out soft and chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. Use with your favorite pizza toppings.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs honey
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbs. active dry yeast
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

(1) In a large bowl, dissolve honey in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let stand for about 10 minutes or until foamy.
(2) Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed and the ball of dough becomes smooth (about 10 minutes). Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
(3) When the dough has doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust pizzas or leave whole to make one very thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Light rise for about 45 minutes or until doubled.
(4) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. When the circle has reached the desired size place on well greased pizza pan that has been sprinkled with corn meal. Top pizza with your favorite toppings.
(5) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven or until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges and cheese is melted.

Helpful Hints:

(1) If you're like me I usually don't have time to let the dough rise. I've found that if I take a microwavable dish, like my glass measuring cup, fill it with water and microwave the water until it boils (usually 3 minutes) it will make the microwave very steamy. I then put my dough in the microwave with the water for about 1/2 hour and it always rises beautifully for me.

(2) For the thicker crust: before adding pizza toppings like sauce, etc. first use a fork and place small holes all over the crust. Then bake the crust alone in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes to set the crust. I've found that if I don't do that the pizza will be very doughy in the middle.