Stuffed Pizza
By Mark HuxsollPublished on June 11, 2020
Time
1¾ hours, plus 45 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Pizza
4 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed4 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni, quartered4 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest deli ham, cut into ½-inch pieces4 ounces salami, cut into ¼-inch cubes¾ teaspoon dried oregano, divided2 (1-pound) balls pizza dough, room temperature1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (4 cups)2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces1 garlic clove, mincedSauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small garlic clove, minced½ teaspoon red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon dried oreganoBefore You Begin
Plan ahead: Once baked, this pizza needs to rest for at least 45 minutes so that it can be sliced cleanly without the filling oozing out. Do not use canned pizza dough such as Pillsbury Pizza Crust here. When using store-bought pizza dough, it is helpful to let it come to room temperature to make it easier to roll out and shape. Buy a 4-ounce chunk of salami rather than sliced salami from the deli.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Cook sausage in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Add pepperoni, ham, salami, and ½ teaspoon oregano to bowl with sausage and toss to combine.
- Turn out 1 dough ball onto lightly floured 16 by 12-inch sheet parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten into 8-inch disk. Using rolling pin, roll dough into 12-inch circle, dusting lightly with flour as needed.
- Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella evenly over dough, leaving ½-inch border. Sprinkle one-third of sausage mixture (about 1 heaping cup) over cheese. Repeat layering until cheese and meat mixture are used up (top layer should be cheese).
- Roll remaining dough ball into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Brush edges of dough on parchment with water. Loosely roll dough on counter around rolling pin and gently unroll it directly over dough on parchment and filling. Press dough edges together firmly to seal. Using pizza cutter, trim and discard dough just beyond sealed edge of pizza, about ¼ inch from filling.
- Using paring knife, cut 1-inch hole in top center of pizza. Lifting parchment, transfer pizza to rimmed baking sheet. Using your hands, press down on top of pizza to compress filling into even layer. Bake until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Slide pizza from sheet onto wire rack. Microwave butter and garlic in small bowl until butter is melted and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Brush top of hot pizza with garlic butter, then sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon oregano. Let pizza cool on rack for at least 45 minutes. (Cooled pizza can be covered loosely with aluminum foil and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Meanwhile, process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving dish. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
- To serve, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice pizza into 8 wedges and place on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake pizza slices until hot throughout, about 10 minutes. Microwave sauce until hot, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve pizza with sauce.
for the pizza
for the sauce
Time
1¾ hours, plus 45 minutes coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Pizza
Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pizza
Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pizza
Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to re-create the impressive stuffed pizza served at Michelangelo's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida (read about our visit to Michelangelo's here). For an at-home take, we started with store-bought dough to simplify the process. We rolled out the first ball of dough on a sheet of floured parchment paper and then topped it with what would eventually become the stuffing: a mixture of mozzarella, hot Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, and salami. We then rolled out the second ball of dough and carefully placed it over the top of the stuffing, using a rolling pin to maneuver the dough. We pressed down on the pizza to force out any air and compact the ingredients, ensuring that the filling would hold itself together when sliced. Finishing the baked pizza with garlic butter and dried oregano gave it a beautiful sheen and crowning touch. Finally, we allowed the pizza to cool so that it held its shape when sliced.
Before You Begin
Plan ahead: Once baked, this pizza needs to rest for at least 45 minutes so that it can be sliced cleanly without the filling oozing out. Do not use canned pizza dough such as Pillsbury Pizza Crust here. When using store-bought pizza dough, it is helpful to let it come to room temperature to make it easier to roll out and shape. Buy a 4-ounce chunk of salami rather than sliced salami from the deli.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Cook sausage in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Add pepperoni, ham, salami, and ½ teaspoon oregano to bowl with sausage and toss to combine.
- Turn out 1 dough ball onto lightly floured 16 by 12-inch sheet parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten into 8-inch disk. Using rolling pin, roll dough into 12-inch circle, dusting lightly with flour as needed.
- Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella evenly over dough, leaving ½-inch border. Sprinkle one-third of sausage mixture (about 1 heaping cup) over cheese. Repeat layering until cheese and meat mixture are used up (top layer should be cheese).
- Roll remaining dough ball into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Brush edges of dough on parchment with water. Loosely roll dough on counter around rolling pin and gently unroll it directly over dough on parchment and filling. Press dough edges together firmly to seal. Using pizza cutter, trim and discard dough just beyond sealed edge of pizza, about ¼ inch from filling.
- Using paring knife, cut 1-inch hole in top center of pizza. Lifting parchment, transfer pizza to rimmed baking sheet. Using your hands, press down on top of pizza to compress filling into even layer. Bake until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Slide pizza from sheet onto wire rack. Microwave butter and garlic in small bowl until butter is melted and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Brush top of hot pizza with garlic butter, then sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon oregano. Let pizza cool on rack for at least 45 minutes. (Cooled pizza can be covered loosely with aluminum foil and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Meanwhile, process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving dish. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
- To serve, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice pizza into 8 wedges and place on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake pizza slices until hot throughout, about 10 minutes. Microwave sauce until hot, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve pizza with sauce.
for the pizza
for the sauce
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