The Charcotta Recipe

preheat and prepare

Place a pizza stone or heavy baking steel on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes. If you have a broiler-safe oven and want extra charring on pepperoni, note that you'll finish with a short broil step (see below).

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Dust a peel or an inverted baking sheet with 1–2 tablespoons flour or semolina to prevent sticking.

Brush the outer 1/2-inch of the rim lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil to help color and crisp the crust during baking.

make the ricotta base

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup ricotta, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if using). Stir until smooth and tasting balanced; adjust salt/pepper to your preference. The mixture should be scoopable but spreadable.

Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the stretched dough, leaving the oiled rim exposed (about a 1/2-inch border). The ricotta acts as the pizza 'sauce' for this pie.

assemble cheeses and pepperoni

Evenly distribute the fresh mozzarella over the ricotta base in medium-size pieces so the cheese melts and creates pockets. Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated Parmesan over the top for savory depth. Arrange the 12 slices of pepperoni on top of the cheeses; place some slices slightly overlapping and some off-center so edges can char and curl for texture.

If you want extra pepperoni crispiness and char, tuck a couple of slices toward the outer edge where they'll blister more, or reserve 4 slices to add during the final broil step (see baking steps).

bake the pizza

Slide the assembled pizza onto the preheated stone or steel and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 6–9 minutes, until the crust is golden and blistered and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Rotate the pizza halfway through baking for even color.

char for the 'charcotta' effect (optional broil)

If you want extra charring on the pepperoni and edges, turn the oven to broil on high and broil for 30–60 seconds, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Alternatively, if you reserved a few pepperoni slices, add them after removing pizza from the oven and briefly broil for 20–30 seconds to crisp them.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Let rest 1–2 minutes, then scatter fresh basil leaves over the top. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt if desired.

Slice into 6–8 slices and serve immediately while hot and the cheeses are creamy.