I love stuffed crust pizza.
Fact.
Is that gross? Maybe to some, but I adore stuffed crust pizza. I appreciate it in all of its indulgent, cheesy glory. I’ve been meaning to make one at home for months, and when I finally got around to it I decided to take a slightly different approach.
I had a lot of fresh basil left over from the stuffed peppers I made, and I didn’t want those fragrant leaves to go to waste in the middle of winter. I also happened to have enough goat cheese to fill an entire crust.
And Mr. How Sweet hates goat cheese.
I might have done this on purpose. Maybe. More for me. Shhhh.
I used my regular pizza dough and rolled it slightly larger than my baking pan—about two inches extra so there was enough dough to fold over and seal. You don’t need to be exact; just roll the dough a bit larger than your intended pizza size so you can fold an edge over. Along that outer edge I spread the goat cheese and chopped basil mixture. This is the fun part: stuff the crust with as much or as little filling as you like. Try different cheeses, herbs, or flavorings—there are endless variations.
Then fold the dough over the filling, press to seal, add your favorite toppings and bake.
I topped mine with plenty of freshly chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and garlic—simple toppings that pair beautifully with basil and creamy goat cheese.
You can customize the toppings however you like. If you want a bold suggestion: add bacon. It’s a fantastic complement and might just be the best pizza ever.
Basil and Goat Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly chopped basil
dough:
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and chopped basil until evenly mixed. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
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In a large bowl, combine the flour and yeast. Add the lukewarm water, honey and olive oil and stir until the dough begins to form. Add the salt just before the dough fully comes together. If the dough is too dry, add additional water one tablespoon at a time. Mix and knead by hand for about 60 seconds. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough to the bowl, cover and let rise for 2 to 3 hours.
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After rising, punch the dough down, form it back into a ball and let it rest for 30 minutes.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough thin. About 1 1/2 inches from the outer edge, spread the goat cheese mixture evenly around the circumference. Fold the outer dough over the filling and press to seal the top and bottom together. Add your desired toppings and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the toppings are cooked.
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I appreciate you so much!
Now I’m tempted to try a bacon-stuffed crust. That might be over the top—even for me—but it’s definitely worth considering.