Stuffed Pizza Ring With Marinara Dip

Homemade pizza just tastes better than anything you have sitting in your freezer and it even beats delivery! And if you're a fan of multiple toppings, especially the classics, you'll love this stuffed and braided pizza ring featuring pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato slices – a different delicious filling in each doughy strand. And don't forget the zesty homemade marinara, because who can resist a good dipping sauce?!

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Difficulty Level: Easy

You'll Need:

For the pizza dough:

• 10 cups flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp dry yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2⅓ cups lukewarm water
• 1 whisked egg yolk for the egg wash

For the pizza filling:

• 3 garlic bulbs
• 1 stick of butter, frozen
• 6 oz sliced pepperoni
• 3 balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• fresh basil, chopped
• 3–4 tomatoes, sliced

For the marinara sauce:

• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp oregano
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 2 onions, sautéed

Here's How:

1. For the pizza dough, add the flour to a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the sugar and dry yeast. Sprinkle salt around the edge of the well and pour the lukewarm water over the yeast. Add the vegetable oil to the bowl and knead the ingredients until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, transfer the bowl to the fridge, and let rise for 12 hours. After the dough has risen, take 3 equal portions from the giant dough ball (about 10-14 oz each), roll each portion out into a long strand, and slightly flatten each dough strand.

2. Place 3 garlic bulbs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Transfer the baking tray to a preheated oven and cook at 400°F for 15 minutes. Cut the edge off of 1 roasted garlic bulb, squeeze the contents out onto a dough strand, and evenly spread the roasted garlic over the dough. Repeat with the other 2 roasted garlic bulbs and dough strands.

3. Grate frozen butter over the roasted garlic on the dough strands.

4. Top the first dough strand with pepperoni slices. Top the second dough strand with fresh mozzarella slices and fresh basil. Top the third dough strand with tomato slices. Finally, seal each topped dough strand.

5. Braid the 3 stuffed dough strands.

6. Place a large tin can in the center of a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Arrange the stuffed dough braid around the tin can and pour hot water into the can.

7. Take a small piece of dough from the remaining giant dough ball and roll it out into a circle. Brush the egg wash around the edges of the dough circle, place the dough over the opening of the tin can with the egg wash side facing down, and firmly press the hanging egg wash-coated dough against the tin can. Transfer the baking tray to a preheated oven and cook at 400°F for 1 hour.

NOTE: You can store any leftover dough in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

8. For the marinara sauce, combine the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and sautéed onions and puree with an immersion blender until somewhat smooth.

9. Remove the cooked pizza dough lid from the tin can and place it upside-down in the center of the cooked pizza ring. Pour the homemade marinara sauce into the pizza dough bowl for dipping.

This stuffed pizza ring with a zesty marinara dip not only tastes delicious, it also turns dinner into an unforgettable experience. Mamma mia!