Italian cheese stuffed pizza

Use your favourite pasta sauce and any topping you like for this homemade pizza! - by that's life!

Italian cheese stuffed pizza

Richard Whitbread

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Note: You will need to prove the bread for 45 minutes.

Ingredients

3 cups bread and pizza flour

7g sachet dried yeast

1 teaspoon caster sugar

semolina, for dusting

6 fridge cheese sticks

1/2 cup sundried tomato & garlic pour over pasta sauce

1 tomato, sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

125g sliced mozzarella cheese

Method

Combine flour, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and make a well in the centre. Add 1 1/4 cups warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir to combine then use your hands to bring the dough together.

Step 1 Use your hands to help bring the dough together.

Richard Whitbread
Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 min or until smooth and elastic. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm place for 45 min or until double in size.

Step 2 Once the dough is smooth, pat into a circle.

Richard Whitbread
Preheat oven to 250C (230C fan forced). Dust a 30-32cm pizza tray with semolina to lightly coat. Punch dough down with your fist. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll dough out to a 40cm diameter circle. Transfer dough onto tray and lightly stretch out the edges of dough to extend over tray by at least 5cm. Place the cheese sticks around the edges of tray, leaving a 2-3cm gap between each cheese stick.

Step 3 Place cheese sticks around the edge of the tray.

Richard Whitbread
Using your hands, and starting from one side, bring the edges of dough over the cheese sticks, rolling and turning dough under slightly to enclose cheese sticks. Repeat process until all edges are rolled under cheese.

Step 4 Enclose cheese by rolling the dough over the cheese.

Richard Whitbread
Spread tomato pasta sauce over over the centre of the pizza base. Use the back of a spoon to make a even layer.

Step 5 Spread the sauce to the edge of the double crust.

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Top the base with basil leaves, sliced tomato, grated mozzarella and then finally top with sliced mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 6 Arrange the topping over the base - add some salami if you like.

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Bake in the oven for 15-20 min or until base is crisp and cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve in wedges with a crisp green salad.

Step 7 Bake for 15-20 min and enjoy.

Richard Whitbread