Friday, August 23, 2024

Back to School: My Kids' Favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza

It's the first day of school here in Iowa today and with the special day falling on a Friday, I thought what better way to celebrate than with my kids' favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza! This pizza is easy to make with staple ingredients that, if your family is anything like mine, you always have stocked - string cheese and pepperoni!

Back to School: My Kids' Favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza

I can hardly believe it, but this year our kids are in 8th, 6th, 4th and 3rd grades! Over the years, I've learned to take it easy on the first day of school - and really, the first week - as the kids adjust and transition back to the school schedule. The best way to do that is to have a quiet night at home, and for us, Friday night is pizza night. So, I'm making it extra special by preparing their favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza.

First Day of School
Back to School this morning!
6th grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade and 8th grade!

I use string cheese, which feels like a childhood staple, to make the stuffed crust. I like to cut the string cheese sticks into a few sections each so your pizza still resembles a circle and not an octagon! The stuffed crust also helps create a nice border to fill with sauce, your favorite ingredients—pepperoni for my kids—and plenty of cheese.

Back to School: My Kids' Favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza
Assembling the Stuffed Crust

There's just something comforting and special about homemade pizza, and what better way to end the first day of school than by making your own at home?

Back to School: My Kids' Favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza

Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 (7g) Quick Yeast pack
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 cup Hot Tap Water
  • 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 1/2 cups Flour
  • 6 String Cheese Sticks
  • 7 oz Pizza Sauce (or half a jar)
  • 1.75 oz Pepperoni slices (or enough to cover the pizza to your liking)
  • 2 cups Shredded Pizza Blend Cheese

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Dough: Start by making your homemade pizza crust. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and sugar with the hot tap water. Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes until frothy. Then add salt and oil, and stir. Next, mix in the flour until combined. Cover with a lid or towel and let rise for at least 2 hours. I love using my big Tupperware Thatsa bowl, and I know things are going well if, after 45 minutes or so, I hear a "pop" as the yeast activates and the dough rises.

  2. Shape the Crust: Once the dough has risen, knead it on a floured surface and roll it out into a circle the size of your pizza pan. Place the rolled dough on a greased pizza plate. Cut each string cheese stick into 3 or 4 pieces and place them evenly around the edge of the pizza crust. Fold and pinch the outside of the dough over the cheese to create a sealed "stuffed crust" border.

  3. Pre-Bake: Bake the crust in a 450°F oven for 5 minutes. Then, take it out and top it with pizza sauce, pepperoni slices, and shredded cheese.

  4. Final Bake: Bake the pizza for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

  5. Serve and Enjoy: Slice it up and enjoy!

Back to School: My Kids' Favorite Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Check out some of my other favorite Back to School recipes:

3 comments:

  1. This stuffed crust pizza looks like such a comforting way to ease into the school year. I especially like the simple string-cheese idea, and I have also been exploring ai effects api for creative projects.

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  2. This homemade stuffed crust pizza looks absolutely delicious! Cutting the string cheese sticks into smaller sections is such a clever tip to keep the shape round. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful, cozy recipe to celebrate the back-to-school week! For illustrators, educators, and family-focused brands, a familiar subject needs a warmer, more tactile visual treatment. Img2Img addresses that job with source-guided editing in the browser. Begin with a simple image with one dominant subject; protect the subject silhouette, expression, pose, key colors, and recognizable props; then request one change that suits children's content, explainers, greeting cards, and playful campaigns. A free daily generation option lowers the cost of checking whether the prompt can protect the subject silhouette, expression, pose, key colors, and recognizable props in this tool directory listing. Img2Img keeps the clay illustration source, prompt, model choice, comparison, and download step together in the browser. https://img2img-ai.com

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  3. This homemade stuffed crust pizza looks like a lovely way to make the first week of school feel special. The string-cheese crust is a clever family-friendly idea, and I also enjoyed exploring Pika H3 Flex for turning creative ideas into short visual stories.

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