Stuffed Crust Pizza

Ingredients

Crust:

¾ cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees)

1 Tablespoon Imperial granulated sugar

1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

2 ¼ cup bread flour

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon vegetable oil

Sauce:

1 fifteen can tomato sauce

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon Imperial granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon basil rub

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Toppings;

1 package sliced pepperoni, turkey or regular

¼ cup chopped onion

1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips or thin rings

8 ounces lean hamburger, sauted

8 ounces ground sausage, sauted

Note: add any other toppings your family likes

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Eight, 1 ounce mozzarella sting cheese sticks

Instructions

Crust: Prepare and refrigerate overnight

Combine warm water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl; stir until yeast and sugar is dissolved.  Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.  You will see foam on the surface. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt.  Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and oil.  Use a fork to stir the liquid into the center of the flour.  Slowly draw in more flour, similar to making biscuits, until all the flour is used.  Form a ball.  Dust your pastry mat with flour. Using your hands, knead the dough until it’s smooth, or about 10 minutes.  Rub a light coating of vegetable oil on the surface and place in tightly covered container, place in a warm spot and let rise for about 2 hours.  Dough should double in size.  Punch the dough down and place back in the container and refrigerate overnight. 

Pizza Sauce:

Using a 4 quart or larger pot, combine tomato sauce, water, sugar, spices and lemon juice over medium heat.  After sauce starts to bubble, turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 30 – 60 minutes, or until sauce reaches the desired thickness.  Cool sauce completely and store in covered container in refrigerator until ready to make your pizza.  (This can also be done the night before). 

Making the pizza:

Remove dough from refrigerator about an hour before you’re ready to make your pizza.  It needs to warm up to room temperature. 
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.  Prepare pizza pan or stone by either lightly greasing it or dusting with corn meal.  

Remove your pizza sauce from the refrigerator.  Chop your veggies.  Saute hamburger and sausage in skillet; drain any excess fat and add chopped onions.  Cook for about 3 – 5 minutes.  Cook Hamburger and sausage until no longer pink. Remove from burner and absorb any remaining oil with paper towel.

Dust your pastry mat good with flour and roll out dough to 18” circle.  Score the bottom of the  pizza dough with a fork so it doesn’t bubble up when baked.  Place a ring of the string cheese sticks about an inch from the edge of the dough, end to end.  Use a pastry brush dipped in water, to go around the outer edge of the dough, all the way around so it will stick when folded over.  Fold the dough up and over the cheese and press down onto the dough, sealing it tightly as you go.  Form a nice round crust as you go around the pizza.  Lightly brush the top of the folded dough with vegetable oil, going all the way around. 

Spread about a cup or so of the pizza sauce on top of the crust. (You will probably have some left over for another pizza).  Make sure you spread the sauce evenly all over the crust, making sure you hide the seam where you folded it over on the edge. Sprinkle half the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.  Spread the toppings evenly, starting with cooked hamburger and sausage, then pepperoni, then veggies & other toppings you choose. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. 

Bake the pizza 12 – 16 minutes or until crust starts to turn brown and crispy.