METHOD

1. Liberally coat a 12” pizza pan with olive oil. Stretch pizza dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. Press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. At this point, the dough should reach the edges of the pan—if it doesn’t, give it a 15-minute rest, covered, before dimpling/pressing again.

2. Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.

3. About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top, about 4" to 5" from the top heating element. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

4. Pre-bake the crust in oven for 8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

5. When you’re ready to bake the pizza, brush the garlic butter on the cooked dough. Layer the crust with the crumbled sausage, then add a layer of the Mozzarella slices. Dollop small spoonfuls of the pizza sauce over the cheese.

6. Sprinkle grated Parmesan, ground beef/pork mixture, and applewood smoked bacon evenly over the crust. Sprinkle on the remaining Mozzarella. Take care to cover the entire crust with no bare dough showing, as this will yield caramelized edges. Place pepperoni slices evenly across the pizza, pressing them down slightly.

7. Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling, and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown (use a spatula to check the bottom). If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. If the top seems fine but the bottom is not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes. Ovens vary, so use visual cues and your own preferences to gauge when you’ve achieved the perfect bake.

8. In the last 3 minutes of the bake, remove and add your Fresh Mozzarella Pearls, and then finish baking. This will prevent the pearls from leaching moisture and making the pizza soggy.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly and carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

10. Garnish by sprinkling basil or parsley over the top, then drizzle lightly with BBQ sauce from a squeeze bottle.

11. Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm. Use kitchen shears to cut this thick pizza into wedges.