Sweet Heat Recipe

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. If using a baking sheet, lightly oil it or dust with semolina.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough to a 12-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick). Transfer to a pizza peel dusted with semolina or to the prepared baking sheet.

Prep tomato sauce

In a small bowl, combine the tomato pizza sauce with olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and taste; adjust heat or seasoning if desired.

Spread the seasoned tomato sauce evenly over the stretched dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust.

Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the sauced dough, leaving a little space at the edge for the crust.

Scatter the shredded fontina on top of the mozzarella for melt and flavor depth. Finish with the grated parmesan evenly over the cheese layer.

Distribute the pepperoni slices evenly across the cheese surface so most slices get some direct oven heat.

If your chorizo is raw: remove from casing if needed and cook in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and slightly crisp, breaking into small crumbles; drain on paper towel. If pre-cooked, warm briefly to release some fat. Scatter about 1/2 cup of crumbled chorizo evenly over the pizza.

Add the sliced pickled jalapenos sparingly across the pizza so the tangy heat balances the spicy meats and sweet honey later.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Rotate halfway through baking for even color.

If the pepperoni releases a lot of oil and you prefer less grease, blot lightly with a paper towel after baking.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest for 1–2 minutes. Drizzle the honey evenly over the hot pizza (about 2 tablespoons) in a thin zigzag to provide a sweet counterpoint to the spicy toppings.

Sprinkle the chopped cilantro or parsley if using, and finish with a light dusting of coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Slice into 6–8 wedges and serve immediately so the contrast of sweet, spicy and tangy remains bright.