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Ingredients
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Meat & Protein
Cheese
Sauce & Seasoning
Dough & Finish
Method
Meat & Protein
Cook ground beef and sausage
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spatula. Add the Italian sausage (removed from casings) to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until both are fully browned and no pink remains, about 7–9 minutes. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper while cooking. Drain any excess grease using a spoon or by tilting the pan and blotting with paper towels; leave a little fat for flavor (about 1 tsp).
Prepare bacon and pepperoni
If bacon is not pre-cooked, cook until crisp in a separate skillet or in the oven, then chop into bite-sized pieces. If using pre-cooked bacon, simply chop. Halve or quarter pepperoni slices if you prefer smaller pieces. Combine the cooked ground beef, cooked sausage, chopped bacon, and pepperoni in a bowl and set aside.
Sauce & Seasoning
In a small bowl, combine the tomato pizza sauce with the minced garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir well to distribute the garlic and spices evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Dough & Finish
Preheat and shape dough
Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes (or as high as your oven safely allows). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. Lightly flour a work surface and stretch or roll the pizza dough into a roughly 12-inch round (for 1 lb dough) about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled pizza pan or a floured pizza peel.
Assemble pizza
Brush the dough edge lightly with 1 tbs olive oil. Spread the seasoned tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust. Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Distribute the combined meat mixture evenly across the pizza. Top with the remaining mozzarella and sprinkle the grated parmesan over everything.
Bake
Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or place the pan in the oven. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Baking time will vary with oven temperature and thickness of dough—watch closely after 7 minutes.
Finish and serve
Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the pizza if using. Slice into 8 pieces and serve hot.