Stuffed Crust Pizza Lava Ring with Garlic Herb Butter

This stuffed crust pizza lava ring turns a familiar favorite into a showstopping centerpiece. Twelve mozzarella sticks are wrapped in pizza dough around a ramekin of warm marinara, then baked until the crust is golden and the cheese is molten.

Brushed with garlic herb butter and served with a dramatic pull-apart moment, this ring is made for sharing. It’s an interactive dinner that feels like a party, yet comes together with just a few ingredients and one simple technique.

This recipe takes the beloved stuffed crust pizza and transforms it into a pull-apart ring with a built-in dipping sauce. The dough is wrapped around mozzarella sticks, baked at high heat until blistered and crisp, then brushed with garlic herb butter.

The center holds a ramekin of marinara, so every piece can be dunked while the cheese is still stretchy. It’s a fun, hands-on meal that works for weeknight dinners, game-day snacks, or any gathering where food is meant to be shared.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Wrapping the mozzarella sticks inside the dough creates a sealed pocket that melts into a gooey core as the crust bakes.

The high oven temperature, 475°F, gives the exterior a quick blast of heat, producing a golden, blistered crust while the cheese inside softens to a pullable consistency. This method ensures every bite has both a crisp edge and a molten center, without the cheese leaking out.

Baking the ring around a ramekin of marinara serves two purposes: it holds the dough in a perfect circle during baking, and it provides a warm dipping sauce that’s ready when the ring comes out of the oven.

The garlic herb butter brushed on afterward adds a fragrant, savory finish that seeps into the crust. The combination of textures and temperatures—crisp dough, molten cheese, and warm sauce—makes each bite satisfying.

Notes and substitutions

Use store-bought pizza dough for convenience, or your favorite homemade dough. The dough should be at room temperature so it stretches easily without tearing. Mozzarella sticks are the classic choice, but string cheese cut into pieces works just as well. For the marinara, choose a thick sauce that won’t water down the ring; a chunky tomato sauce or pizza sauce is ideal.

A 4- to 6-ounce ramekin is the right size to fit in the center of the ring. If you don’t have a ramekin, use a small oven-safe bowl or a custard cup. Garlic herb butter can be made by mixing softened butter with minced garlic and dried herbs, or use a store-bought version. The ring is best served warm, right after baking, when the cheese is most stretchy.

• garlic herb butter: melted butter mixed with 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
• marinara sauce: pizza sauce or crushed tomatoes seasoned with salt and oregano
• pizza dough: store-bought pizza dough or homemade dough of your choice
• mozzarella sticks: string cheese cut into 3-inch pieces

Equipment

• Ramekin (4- to 6-ounce)
• Baking sheet or pizza stone
• Parchment paper
• Pastry brush
• Rolling pin (optional)
• Sharp knife or bench scraper