The Carnivore Recipe
Smoked Pepperoni, Natural Casing Pepperoni, Ham, Sausage, Bacon
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Ingredients
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Dough
Sauce
Cheese & Toppings
Assembly & Finishing
Method
Dough
- 1
Activate yeast
In a small bowl, stir the warm water and sugar, then sprinkle the active dry yeast over the surface. Let sit 5–8 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Mix dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well, add the foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- 3
Knead
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium for 6–8 minutes.
- 4
Sauce
- 5
Prepare 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 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Simmer gently 10–12 minutes to meld flavors, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Cheese & Toppings
- 6
Prepare meats
Cook and crumble the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat. Cook bacon in a skillet or oven until crisp, then drain on paper towels and roughly chop. If ham or pepperonis are cold, arrange ready to use; if you prefer, warm the smoked and natural casing pepperoni briefly in a skillet to render some fat for extra flavor (optional, 1–2 minutes per side).
- 7
Grate cheese
Shred the mozzarella and measure out the Parmesan if using. Keep cheeses chilled until assembly.
Assembly & Baking
- 8
Preheat oven
Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes (or highest temperature for your oven). If using a home oven that doesn't reach 500°F, preheat to the highest setting and allow stone to heat thoroughly.
- 9
Shape dough
Punch down the risen dough and divide into two equal portions for two 12-inch pizzas (recipe makes 2) or keep whole for one large 14–16 inch. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll one portion into a 12-inch circle, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust. Transfer to a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet dusted with semolina or cornmeal.
- 10
Sauce and cheese
Spread about 1/2 cup of the prepared sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce.
- 11
Add meats
Distribute the toppings evenly: arrange smoked pepperoni and natural casing pepperoni slices across the pizza, scatter the cooked sausage, arrange ham pieces, and sprinkle chopped bacon. Reserve a few pepperoni slices to add toward the end if you want some crisp curling chips on top.
- 12
Final touches
Lightly brush the exposed crust with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Optionally sprinkle grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes over the cheese and meats to taste.
- 13
Bake
Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet and bake 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and browned in spots. If you reserved some pepperoni for topping later, add them after 6–8 minutes so they crisp but don’t overbrown.
- 14
Rest and slice
Remove pizza from oven and let rest 3–5 minutes. This helps the cheese set and makes slicing easier. Slice into 8 (for 12-inch) or desired number of slices and serve hot.