If you are looking to blow your guests away on your next pizza night, this Stuffed Crust Pull-Apart Pepperoni Pizza is the ultimate showstopper. It takes the classic pepperoni pizza you love and surrounds it with a massive crown of fluffy, golden-baked dough rolls packed with gooey, overflowing mozzarella cheese.
Every single border roll acts as an individual, cheesy pull-apart garlic knot, making this the most fun and decadent pizza recipe you will ever bake at home!
Prep time, Cook time, & Servings
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Servings: 4-6 servings (Makes one large 14-inch heavy-crust pizza)
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough & Cheesy Border Rolls:
- Pizza Dough: 1.5 to 2 lbs homemade or store-bought dough (you need extra dough to form the heavy border rolls)
- Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (String Cheese): 6-8 sticks, cut into 1.5-inch pieces (used to stuff the rolls)
- Garlic Butter Glaze: 2 tbsp melted butter mixed with 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley (for brushing over the rolls)
For the Center Pizza & Toppings:
- Pizza Sauce: 1/2 cup of thick, seasoned traditional red pizza sauce
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: 1.5 cups (for the center pizza base)
- Pepperoni Slices: 1/3 cup of high-quality sandwich or cup-and-char pepperoni slices
- Parmesan Cheese: 2 tbsp, finely grated (optional garnish)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Get the Oven Screaming Hot
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Grease a large 14-inch round pizza pan or baking sheet lightly with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
2. Shape and Stuff the Border Rolls
- Divide the dough: Separate your pizza dough into two portions. Use about 1/3 of the dough to roll out into a flat, thin 10-inch circle for the center base of your pizza and place it in the middle of your greased pan.
- Make the rolls: Take the remaining 2/3 of the dough and pinch it into small, equal-sized dough balls (about the size of a golf ball—you will need roughly 14-16 balls).
- Stuff the center: Flatten each small dough ball in your palm, place a piece of mozzarella string cheese right in the center, and tightly wrap the dough around the cheese. Pinch the seams firmly so the cheese doesn’t leak completely during baking.
- Arrange the crown: Place the stuffed dough rolls side-by-side in a tight, seamless circle around the outer rim of your flat pizza base, forming a massive, thick border.
3. Build the Pepperoni Pizza Center
- Spread the rich tomato pizza sauce evenly over the flat center dough, moving right up to the edges where the rolls meet.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese uniformly over the sauce base.
- Layer the pepperoni slices generously across the cheese in concentric circles.
4. Bake and Glaze
- Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the center pizza cheese is fiercely bubbling and the massive outer dough rolls are puffed, golden-brown, and showing bits of cheese starting to ooze out beautifully.
- Glaze: Immediately upon removing the pizza from the oven, brush the warm garlic butter glaze generously over the hot, puffy crust rolls.
- Garnish: Dust a bit of grated Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza.
5. Pull and Serve
- Rest for 3 minutes so the cheese sets slightly.
- Serve hot! Instruct your guests to pull the outer stuffed dough rolls right off the crust to experience an incredible cheese pull before slicing into the center pizza.
Chef’s Tips for Success
- Seal the Seams Firmly: When wrapping the cheese inside the outer dough balls, make sure to roll them tightly between your palms and pinch the bottom seams completely shut. A tight seal prevents all the cheese from running out onto the pan.
- Use String Cheese: Mozzarella string cheese is ideal for stuffing the crust rolls because it holds its shape much better under high heat than standard shredded or fresh mozzarella pearls.
- The “Cup-and-Char” Effect: Look for pepperoni labeled as “old world” or “natural casing.” These slices naturally curl up into tiny cups as they bake, trapping their savory oils and crisping up perfectly at the edges.