Rosie's Delight Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 475°F (245°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. Line a pizza peel or baking sheet with parchment and dust with cornmeal or semolina.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick). Transfer the stretched dough to the prepared peel or baking sheet. Brush the outer 1/2-inch rim lightly with the 1 tbs olive oil to encourage browning.

In a small bowl, stir together the tomato pizza sauce, minced garlic, and dried oregano until combined. Taste and adjust salt or oregano as desired.

Spread the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving the oiled rim clear. Sprinkle 1 3/4 cups of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce, reserving about 1/4 cup for topping. Lightly sprinkle the grated parmesan over the cheese.

If your Italian sausage is raw, brown it first: heat a skillet over medium heat, crumble the sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes; drain excess fat. If pre-cooked, simply crumble or slice as desired.

Distribute the crumbled cooked sausage evenly across the cheese layer. Arrange pepperoni slices over the sausage in an even layer.

Scatter the thinly sliced onion, sliced mushrooms, and green bell pepper evenly across the pizza so toppings are balanced. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup mozzarella over the top to help bind toppings.

Lightly sprinkle the red pepper flakes across the pizza for a touch of heat (adjust quantity to taste).

Slide the pizza (on the peel or baking sheet) onto the preheated stone or rack. Bake at 475°F (245°C) for 10–14 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Scatter torn fresh basil leaves over the top if using. Slice into 8 slices and serve hot.