Pizzaster Recipe

Make quick tomato sauce

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, black pepper and sugar (if using). Stir to combine and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to marry flavors and slightly thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Cook and prep sausage

In a skillet over medium heat, add the crumbled sausage (no additional oil if it’s fatty) and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until just cooked through and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat on paper towels and set aside.

Cook bacon

In the same skillet, or under a broiler/pan, cook the bacon to just crisp (it will finish on the pizza), about 4–6 minutes depending on thickness. Transfer to paper towels, blot off excess fat, and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Shred the smoked mozzarella and grate the Parmesan. Tear the capocollo into bite-size pieces and arrange pepperoni slices.

Preheat and prepare dough

If using a wood-fired oven, preheat until the stone/oven floor reaches 700–900°F (370–480°C). If using a home oven, preheat oven to highest setting with pizza stone on rack in lower third for at least 45 minutes (500–550°F). Lightly dust a pizza peel or work surface with semolina or flour. Stretch or roll the dough into a 12" round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust.

Sauce and cheese

Lightly spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the prepared tomato sauce onto the center of the dough and spread in a thin, even layer leaving the rim exposed. Evenly distribute about 6 oz of the shredded smoked mozzarella over the sauced surface, reserving 2 oz for finishing. Sprinkle about 1 oz grated Parmesan over top.

Add meats

Scatter the cooked crumbled sausage evenly over the pizza. Arrange the pepperoni slices across the surface, then dot with the chopped bacon pieces and torn capocollo so every slice will have a mix of meats.

Bake

Transfer the assembled pizza to the hot oven/stone. In a wood-fired oven the pizza will cook very quickly, typically 90 seconds–3 minutes depending on oven temp; rotate as needed for even charring. In a home oven at 500–550°F expect 7–10 minutes until crust is blistered and cheese is bubbly and golden in spots.

Finish

Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle the remaining 2 oz smoked mozzarella pieces and the grated Parmesan where desired so they melt from residual heat. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil over the crust, scatter crushed red pepper to taste, and add fresh basil leaves if using. Let rest 1–2 minutes, slice and serve.