Heart Shaped Pizza with Stuffed Crust

Nothing says “I love you” quite like a homemade heart-shaped pizza! With heart-shaped pepperoni and a cheese-stuffed crust, this delightful dish is perfect for any occasion. Follow the steps below to create your own!

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

14 minutes

Total Time

34 minutes

Ingredients

• Pizza dough for 1 pizza
• ¼ to ½ cup kitchen-ready tomatoes
• 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 15 to 20 heart-shaped pepperoni
• 7 to 9 sticks of string cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cornmeal for the crust

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 425ºF. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat up.
2. Prep the Seasoning and Toppings: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, oregano, and basil to create the Italian seasoning. Set aside. Shred the mozzarella cheese, or use chunks of string cheese if preferred.
3. Make Heart-Shaped Pepperoni: If you have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, use it to cut the pepperoni. If not, stack about six slices and carefully cut them into hearts with a sharp knife, or fold a slice in half and cut a half-heart shape with kitchen scissors. Don’t worry about perfection—the oven will hide some imperfections!
4. Roll Out the Dough: Carefully roll out your pizza dough into a large circle. It doesn’t need to be perfectly round, but make sure it’s thick enough to support the toppings.
5. Prepare Your Work Surface: Sprinkle cornmeal on your prep area to prevent sticking. If using a pizza stone, transfer the dough using a pizza paddle or inverted sheet pan, ensuring plenty of cornmeal is underneath for easy sliding. If using a sheet pan, prepare the pizza directly on it with a little cornmeal.
6. Shape the Heart: Place the rolled-out dough on your prep area. Grab 4 string cheese sticks and form a ‘V’ shape at the bottom of the dough, leaving enough room to fold the dough over the ends. For a larger pizza, add 2 more string cheeses to the sides. Use the remaining whole sticks to form the top ‘V’ and connect the sides with the remaining halves, creating a heart shape.