5 Toppings Recipe

Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet inside if available. If you have a pizza steel or stone, let it heat for at least 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the 12-inch pizza dough into a roughly 12-inch round. Brush the top lightly with 2 tbs olive oil and sprinkle 1 tsp salt evenly. If using tomato sauce for the margherita section, reserve it to apply only to that quadrant (see assembly).

Warm 1 tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant.

Add sliced mushrooms, thyme, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Sauté until mushrooms release moisture and turn golden, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Arrange pepperoni slices on a plate. Drizzle spicy honey over the pepperoni and sprinkle with 0.5 tsp chili flakes, turning each slice to evenly coat. Let sit 5 minutes so flavors meld. This topping crisps in the oven and the honey caramelizes slightly.

If using tomato sauce, mix with a pinch of salt. Place tomato sauce only on the margherita quadrant of the dough — use about 1/4 cup (of the 1/2 cup total) spread thinly.

Distribute fresh mozzarella and tomato slices (or cherry tomatoes) over the sauced quadrant. Drizzle 0.5 tbs olive oil and sprinkle 0.25 tsp salt across this section.

In a small skillet, melt 1 tbs butter or heat olive oil over medium-low. Add 1 cup thinly sliced onion and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and sweet, 20–25 minutes. Stir in 0.5 tsp brown sugar about halfway through if using to accelerate caramelization.

When onions are caramelized, remove from heat and distribute them over the designated quadrant of the pizza dough. Crumble 0.5 cup goat cheese over the onions and finish with 0.25 tsp black pepper.

In a small bowl toss 1 cup arugula with 0.5 tbs olive oil, 0.5 tsp lemon juice and 0.125 tsp salt. Set aside. This topping is added after baking to keep the arugula bright and peppery.

Tear prosciutto into pieces to place on the pizza after baking, or lay thin slices on the dough before baking if you prefer them warmed and slightly crisped (see assembly options).

Assemble toppings on the stretched dough by quadrant or distributed as you like: - Quadrant A (Margherita): tomato sauce, mozzarella, tomato. - Quadrant B (Pepperoni Spicy Honey): honey-coated pepperoni. - Quadrant C (Mushroom & Garlic): sautéed mushrooms. - Quadrant D (Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese): caramelized onion and goat cheese. Leave a small border for the crust. If you prefer prosciutto warmed, add prosciutto to its planned quadrant now; if not, add it after baking.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating halfway, until crust is blistered and toppings are bubbly and golden. Baking time depends on oven and thickness of dough.

If prosciutto was not added before baking, remove pizza and immediately top the prosciutto slices over the baked pizza. Scatter the dressed arugula over the prosciutto area and shave 2 tbs parmesan on top. Drizzle 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, sprinkle 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes across the whole pizza.

Let the pizza rest 2–3 minutes, then slice and serve. The five toppings should be distinct but complementary: melty margherita, spicy-sweet pepperoni, earthy mushrooms, sweet caramelized onions with tangy goat cheese, and bright prosciutto-arugula finish.