Meat Lover Pizza Recipe

Activate and mix

In a large bowl combine warm water (about 105–115°F / 40–46°C), sugar and instant dry yeast. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until foamy. Add olive oil, salt and about 2 cups of the flour. Stir until combined.

Knead

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, gradually adding remaining flour as needed, until a smooth elastic dough forms, about 6–8 minutes (or use a stand mixer with dough hook 4–5 minutes). The dough should be tacky but not sticky.

First rise

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 45–60 minutes. Punch down and let rest 10 minutes before shaping.

Shape

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle rack. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough into a 12–14 inch round (or desired thickness). Transfer to a sheet of parchment or a pizza peel dusted with semolina/flour.

While dough rises, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper and optional sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 6–8 minutes to meld flavors. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Cook meats

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the bacon slices and cook until crisp, about 6–8 minutes, turning as needed. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain. In the same skillet, add the ground beef and break it up; season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5–6 minutes. Remove and drain excess fat. Crumble or chop browned beef. Next, add the bulk Italian sausage (removed from casings) to the skillet and cook, breaking into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 6–7 minutes. Drain any excess fat and set all cooked meats aside. Pat cooked bacon dry and cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve pepperoni slices to add to pizza raw.

Assemble pizza

Brush the stretched dough edge lightly with olive oil. Spread an even layer (about 3/4–1 cup) of the prepared tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border for the crust. Evenly sprinkle about 2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Distribute the cooked sausage, cooked ground beef, bacon pieces and pepperoni slices evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and the grated Parmesan on top. If desired, scatter 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes across the pizza for a touch of heat.

Slide the pizza (on parchment or peel) onto the preheated pizza stone or inverted baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and developing brown spots. Rotate halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

Remove pizza from oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Brush the crust lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle grated Parmesan if not added earlier and garnish with fresh basil leaves if using. Slice and serve hot.