16" Meat Eaters Recipe

Cook sausage and bacon

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add the removed-casing crumbled Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. In the same skillet (wipe out excess fat if there is too much), add the bacon strips and cook until crisp, about 6–8 minutes, flipping once. Transfer bacon to paper towels, let cool slightly, then chop into bite-size pieces. Reserve about 1 tsp drippings in the skillet if you like extra flavor or discard.

If using precooked bacon or oven-baked bacon, cook to crispiness and chop before assembly. Ensure all meats are warm or at room temperature before placing on pizza so they heat evenly in the oven.

Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet on the rack. Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes so the stone/sheet is thoroughly heated.

Lightly dust a pizza peel or clean work surface with the all-purpose flour. Stretch or roll the prepared pizza dough to a 16-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Transfer stretched dough to the floured peel or a sheet of parchment for easier transfer.

Brush the exposed crust edge lightly with 1 tbs olive oil for golden color and texture.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2–3/4-inch border for the crust. Use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sauce for a standard coverage; adjust to preference (recipe calls for 1.5 cups).

Sprinkle an even layer of the shredded mozzarella over the sauced dough, leaving the crust free. Reserve about 1/4 cup of mozzarella to sprinkle after arranging the meats if you like extra melting between toppings.

Distribute the cooked crumbled sausage evenly across the cheese.

Scatter the torn ham pieces evenly over the pizza, pushing some slightly into the cheese so they adhere while baking.

Layer the pepperoni slices evenly, leaving small gaps so heat can circulate; you can overlap slightly if desired.

Sprinkle the chopped cooked bacon across the top so every slice will have bacon in places.

Finish with the reserved 1/4 cup mozzarella and the 1/4 cup grated Parmesan sprinkled evenly. Sprinkle dried oregano and red pepper flakes across the top for seasoning.

Carefully slide the assembled pizza on the parchment (or directly from the peel) onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, depending on oven performance: look for a bubbly, golden cheese and a crust browned at the edges. Rotate the pizza halfway through baking for even color if your oven has hot spots.

Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 2–3 minutes to let cheese settle, then scatter fresh basil leaves if using. Slice into 8–10 slices and serve hot.