Party Pleasers Recipe

Remove chosen pre-portioned doughs from refrigeration 60–90 minutes before baking and place in lightly oiled bowls to come to room temperature. This makes stretching easier and improves oven spring.

Preheat pizza oven or conventional oven to 500–550°F (260–290°C). If using a deck oven, preheat to the highest recommended setting. Place pizza stones or steel in the oven while it preheats for at least 45 minutes.

Set up an assembly station with sauce, cheeses, all toppings arranged in separate bowls. Keep a dusting tray with semolina or cornmeal and flour nearby for handling dough.

If using 14" pan pizzas, lightly oil the pans (1/2 tablespoon per pan) and dust with a small amount of flour or semolina to prevent sticking.

Thin-crust 16"

Dust work surface lightly with flour and semolina. Press one 16" dough ball into a flat disk, then use your fingertips to stretch from the center out, leaving a 1/2"–3/4" rim. Stretch to an even 16" diameter. Transfer to a pizza peel dusted with semolina or parchment.

Pan 14"

Gently press one 14" pan dough into an oiled 14" pan, pushing to the edges to create an even layer with a slightly higher rim. Dock lightly with a fork to avoid large bubbles (for pan-style texture, leave some bubbles for chew).

Brush the stretched dough lightly with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to help crisping. Spoon 1 cup of pizza sauce onto each pizza (for a thinner-sauced pizza use 3/4 cup). Spread evenly, leaving the rim untouched.

Classic Pepperoni

Evenly distribute 2 cups shredded mozzarella over sauce, then arrange 2 cups sliced pepperoni in overlapping circles to cover the pizza. Finish with a light sprinkle of dried oregano (about 1/2 teaspoon) and a grind of black pepper.

Margherita

Place 2 cups sliced fresh mozzarella evenly over the sauced dough. Add 2 cups thinly sliced roma tomatoes, leaving some open space. After baking, top with 1 cup fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of 1 tablespoon olive oil per pizza.

Supreme

Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella, then add 2 cups cooked crumbled Italian sausage, 2 cups sliced bell peppers, 1 cup thinly sliced red onion, and 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms. Distribute evenly. Finish with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired.

BBQ Chicken

Toss 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken with 1 cup BBQ sauce. Spread a light layer of BBQ sauce (in place of tomato sauce), add the sauced chicken evenly, and top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella. After baking, garnish with 1/2–1 cup chopped cilantro and a light drizzle of extra BBQ sauce.

Slide thin-crust pizzas onto the preheated stone/steel. Bake 6–8 minutes at 500–550°F, rotating once halfway, until crust is blistered and cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Pan 14" pizzas will bake slightly longer—about 12–18 minutes—until the edges are golden and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove pizzas from oven and transfer to cutting board. Immediately brush the crust edges with garlic oil (about 1/2–1 tablespoon per pizza) for shine and flavor. Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons grated Parmesan per pizza and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.

Let pizzas rest 2–3 minutes, then slice into 8 (16" thin) or 8–10 (14" pan, depending on desired slice size) slices. Serve hot. For catering, place each pizza in foil pans or pizza boxes and keep in a warm holding cabinet (140°F/60°C) for up to 1 hour.