Extra Cheesy Deep Dish Pizza

There are few things that can top a big, delicious pizza, but we found a way to up the ante: adding extra cheese! This recipe for a deep dish pizza is a must-try for the cheese fans out there. Our extra cheesy deep dish pizza is absolutely oozing with ooey, gooey mozzarella cheese, stuffed with delicious toppings, and covered in a homemade bolognese sauce. Bring your pizza party to the next level and give it a try!

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Inactive Time: 10 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy

You'll Need:

For the pizza dough:

  • 4 cups flour
  • ¾ cup corn flour
  • 1 cup water, lukewarm
  • 1 tsp dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

For the bolognese sauce:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • olive oil for frying

For the extra cheesy filling:

  • 2 lbs mozzarella, cut into logs
  • 5 mushrooms, sliced
  • 10 slices of pepperoni
  • ½ red bell pepper, sliced
  • ½ yellow bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 red onions, sliced
  • 5 cherry tomatoes, sliced 
  • fresh basil

For the creamy filling:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 eggs
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 whisked egg for the egg wash

Extra:

  • 2 wooden spoons 
  • 12 x 5-inch loaf pan 
  • scissors

Here's How:

1. For the pizza dough, be sure to start 1 day in advance. Stir together the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar, then set the mixture aside for 10 minutes. Stir together the flour, corn flour, and salt, then add in the yeast mixture and vegetable oil. Knead the ingredients by hand for 10–12 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Place the dough in a large mixing bowl, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator, and let it rise overnight. Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350°F. For the bolognese sauce, cook the ground beef in a small amount of olive oil and season it with salt & pepper. Add in the diced onions and minced garlic and cook everything together until the onions are translucent. Once the ground beef has been cooked, add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and season the sauce with oregano. Bring the bolognese sauce to a simmer and let everything cook together for 30 minutes. Take the bolognese sauce off of the heat and let it cool down to room temperature. Cut the mozzarella into long, thick logs and place the one of the logs between 2 wooden spoons. Make a series of evenly spaced cuts in the piece of mozzarella, stopping the cuts once the knife hits the wooden spoons. Flip the piece of mozzarella over and use this same technique to make cuts on the opposite side between the cuts made on the first side. Repeat this process for the other mozzarella logs.

2. Make sure the mozzarella is at room temperature, then place the cut pieces on a cutting board so that the slices on both sides are visible. Carefully pull the mozzarella at both ends so that the cuts open up slightly.

3. Stuff the cuts on both sides of the mozzarella with stacks of 3 different fillings: fresh basil, pepperoni, and yellow bell pepper; mushroom, fresh basil, and red bell pepper; and fresh basil, cherry tomato, and red onion.

4. Cut the stuffed pieces of mozzarella into 6 segments of equal length.

5. Line the loaf pan with a 16-inch strip of parchment paper and roll out the pizza dough. Carefully line the loaf pan with pizza dough, making sure there is some excess dough that hangs over the edge of the pan. Spoon the bolognese sauce into the loaf pan and spread it around evenly. Place the stuffed pieces of mozzarella on top of the layer of bolognese sauce.

6. Beat the eggs together with the heavy cream and season the mixture with salt & pepper, then pour the mixture into the loaf pan. Use scissors to make small cuts in the excess dough all the way around the loaf pan. Twist every 2 strands of dough together and roll them up into small bundles so that they sit on the side of the pan.

7. Whisk an egg for the egg wash and brush it over the surface of the dough. Transfer the loaf pan to the oven and bake the extra cheesy deep dish pizza at 350°F for 2 hours. After the pizza has been in the oven for 1 hour, cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil so that the dough doesn't get overcooked.

If you're a cheese fan, then you absolutely have to try this pizza. From its delicious homemade sauce to the extra cheesy filling, this deep dish pizza is the perfect hearty meal for you to add to your repertoire! 

Get the recipe for the Cheesy Volcano Pizza featured in the bonus video.

Comments

Also hefty