Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) or as high as your oven will go; place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack while it heats. If using store-bought dough, let it rest at room temperature 30 minutes to relax. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick). Transfer the stretched dough to a piece of parchment paper for easy handling.

Brush the surface of the dough lightly with 1 tbs olive oil mixed with the minced garlic and 1/2 tsp of the salt, leaving a small border for the crust. This creates a flavorful base instead of tomato sauce.

Cheese & Sauce

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream (or crème fraîche) with the lime zest and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Taste and adjust—this will be spread thinly as a bright, tangy base.

Spread the lime-infused sour cream evenly over the oiled dough, leaving the edge free for the crust. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the spread (reserve the optional cotija/feta for finishing).

Toppings

Scatter the thinly sliced red onion evenly over the cheese. Add thin rounds of jalapeño to distribute heat; remove seeds if you prefer milder spice.

Slide the parchment with the prepared pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or inverted sheet. Bake for 8–12 minutes, rotating once if your oven has hot spots, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

While the pizza bakes, slice the avocado into 1/4-inch slices and toss gently with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of cracked black pepper—this prevents browning and seasons the avocado.

When the pizza comes out of the oven, let it rest 1–2 minutes. Arrange the lime-dressed avocado slices across the pizza. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and crumble the cotija or feta over the top. Finish with flaky sea salt and a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. If you like heat, add red pepper flakes.