The Stuffed Pizza, or “stuffed pizza,” is a variation of the Chicago pizza, characterized by a thick crust base filled with cheese, tomato sauce, and other ingredients, and topped with another layer of dough.
It stands out from the deep dish pizza, which has a taller base but is not topped, and from the margherita pizza, which has a thin base and toppings on the surface.
Around the mid-1970s, two Chicago chains, “Nancy’s Pizza,” founded by Rocco Palese, and “Giordano’s Pizzeria,” run by brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio, began experimenting with deep-dish pizza and created the stuffed pizza.
Palese based his creation on his mother’s recipe for the scarcedda, an Italian Easter pie from his hometown of Potenza in Basilicata, more commonly known in Italy as pizza rustica lucana, but the preparation also reminds of the
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 packet dry yeast (or 0.88 oz fresh yeast or 9.13 oz fresh sourdough starter)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 3.5 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (or 1.31 cups with sourdough starter)
- 3.5 cups tomato sauce (or peeled tomatoes)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- to taste olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- to taste oregano
- to taste salt
- 7 oz sausage
- 10.5 oz mozzarella
- 3.5 oz provolone
- 1.75 oz pecorino
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Baking pan 11-12 inches
Steps
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Add the flour and salt, then incorporate the oil. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise for about 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size (with sourdough starter, let rise for 12 hours).
Prepare the sauce:
Sauté the grated onion in oil until golden.
Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the peeled tomatoes, oregano, sugar, and salt.
Simmer on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until a thick sauce is obtained.
Assemble the pizza:
Divide the dough into two parts: one larger for the base and one smaller for the top.
Roll out the larger part and line a round pan of 10-12 inches, allowing the dough to slightly overhang.
Evenly spread the crumbled raw sausage on the base.
Add slices of mozzarella, provolone, and pecorino.
Roll out the smaller part of the dough and cover the filling, sealing the edges well with the base.
Pour the tomato sauce over the top surface of the dough.
Evenly spread the sauce, leaving a small border free if desired.
Sprinkle with grated cheese, such as parmesan, pecorino, or asiago, to add flavor and promote even browning.
Preheat the oven to 392°F.
Bake the pizza for about 45-60 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is Chicago Style Pizza?
Chicago pizza or “Chicago-style pizza” is a thick, buttery crust pizza, baked in a deep pan.
It is a pizza prepared according to one of several styles developed in Chicago.
It can refer to either the well-known deep-dish or stuffed pizzas or the lesser-known “tavern-style” thin-crust pizzas.
The pan used to bake deep-dish pizza gives the pizza its characteristic high edge, offering plenty of room for lots of cheese and thick tomato sauce.
The main characteristic is the order of the ingredients: cheese is placed under the tomato sauce and toppings, instead of on top.
Dough: The base is thick and buttery, often made with cornmeal.
Order of ingredients: Cheese is at the base, then tomato sauce and toppings (e.g., sausage, salami, onions, peppers).
Baking: The pizza is baked in a deep pan, creating a high and crispy base.
Origins: It is believed to have originated in Chicago in the 1940s.What are the differences between Deep Dish Pizza and Stuffed Pizza?
🧀 Stuffed Pizza
Origin: Chicago, 1970s, introduced by pizzerias like Giordano’s and Nancy’s.
Features:
Two layers of dough: one at the base and one on top, enclosing the filling.
Abundant filling of cheeses (especially mozzarella), meats, and vegetables.
Tomato sauce poured over the top dough layer.
Baked in deep pans, resulting in a tall and hearty pizza.
Note: The presence of the second dough layer clearly distinguishes it from the deep dish pizza.
🍅 Deep Dish Pizza
Origin: Chicago, 1940s, with Pizzeria Uno as a pioneer.
Features:
One thick and buttery dough layer that rises up the sides of the pan.
Layers of cheese and other ingredients directly on the dough.
Tomato sauce poured over the other ingredients.
Baked in deep pans, but without the second top dough layer.
Note: While similar to stuffed pizza, the absence of the top dough “lid” makes it distinct.
