Name: Louie's Pizzas Small Pizza Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1.5 cups all-purpose flour; 0.5 cups warm water (about 110°F / 43°C); 0.5 tsp active dry yeast; 0.25 tsp sugar; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 tbs olive oil; 1 tsp additional olive oil (for brushing and drizzling); 0.5 cups tomato sauce (pizza or marinara style); 0.25 tsp dried oregano; 0.125 tsp dried basil; 1 cups provolone cheese, shredded or thinly sliced; 1.5 oz special ham, thinly sliced; 1 oz Italian salami, thinly sliced; 1 oz capicola (coppa), thinly sliced; 0.25 cup onion, thinly sliced (preferably red or yellow); 0.25 cup green bell pepper, thinly sliced; 0.5 cup tomato, thinly sliced or halved cherry tomatoes; 0.125 tsp coarse salt; 0.125 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Dough & Oil Base

activate yeast

In a small bowl, combine warm water (about 110°F / 43°C), sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5–8 minutes until foamy.

make dough

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add the foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour.

rest dough

Lightly oil a small bowl with a little olive oil, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 30–45 minutes, until it has roughly doubled in size.

shape crust

Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat. Punch down the dough and transfer to a floured surface. Roll or stretch into a 10-inch round (about 1/4–1/3 inch thick). Transfer to a piece of parchment paper or a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the top lightly with the additional 1 tsp olive oil to create the "oil" base noted in the menu description.

Sauce & Cheese

season sauce

In a small bowl, mix the tomato sauce with dried oregano and dried basil. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

assemble sauce and cheese

Spread the seasoned tomato sauce evenly over the oiled dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust. Sprinkle or arrange the shredded or thinly sliced provolone cheese evenly over the sauce.

Meats

add meats

Evenly distribute the special ham slices, Italian salami, and capicola over the cheese. Arrange so meats are spread across the pizza for balanced bites.

Vegetables & Toppings

prepare vegetables

Scatter the thinly sliced onion and green pepper over the meats. Arrange the tomato slices (or halved cherry tomatoes) on top. Sprinkle the coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper evenly over the pizza.

bake

Using a peel or the parchment paper, transfer the pizza to the preheated oven or pizza stone. Bake for 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

finish and rest

Remove pizza from oven and let rest for 2–3 minutes. Optionally drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the top. Slice into 6–8 slices and serve hot.