Four Signature Wood-Fired Pizza Recipes
Each recipe below makes one 10 to 12 inch pizza from a single dough ball. Stretch by hand on a floured counter, never with a rolling pin. A pin crushes the air bubbles that give you that gorgeous puffy rim.
a) The Classic Neapolitan Margherita
The test of every pizzaiolo. Nowhere to hide here, so quality ingredients matter. This is the heart of Neapolitan pizza at home.
Ingredients
- 1 dough ball (7 ounces)
- ⅓ cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes (hand-crushed, a pinch of salt, nothing else)
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn and patted dry
- 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Assembly
- Stretch the dough to about 11 inches, leaving a 1-inch rim untouched.
- Spoon the tomatoes over the center and spread in a spiral, stopping short of the rim.
- Scatter the mozzarella in small, uneven pieces. Dry cheese is crucial; wet mozzarella is the number one cause of a soggy middle.
- Launch and bake at 850 to 900°F for 60 to 90 seconds, turning once or twice.
- Finish with basil and a thread of olive oil. Add the basil after baking so it stays bright and fragrant.
b) The American Hot Honey Pepperoni
Sweet, spicy, salty, crisp. This is the pizza my friends request by name. The secret is cup-and-char pepperoni, the kind that curls into tiny bowls and fills with spicy red oil.
Ingredients
- 1 dough ball (7 ounces)
- ¼ cup simple pizza sauce (crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt, pinch of oregano)
- 3 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 12 to 14 slices natural-casing, cup-and-char pepperoni
- 1 tablespoon Mike’s Hot Honey, for drizzling
- Pinch of dried oregano
Assembly
- Stretch the dough, add a thin layer of sauce, and scatter the mozzarella evenly.
- Arrange the pepperoni over the top, slightly overlapping. Natural-casing slices shrink and curl in the heat, so don’t be shy.
- Bake at about 800 to 850°F for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, rotating to char the rim evenly.
- Pull it out, drizzle immediately with hot honey, and add a pinch of oregano. The honey warms, loosens, and pools into the pepperoni cups. Absolutely irresistible.
c) The Rustic White Woods
No tomato here. This one tastes like a stroll through an autumn forest, with creamy ricotta, mellow roasted garlic, and a perfume of truffle.
Ingredients
- 1 dough ball (7 ounces)
- ⅓ cup whole-milk ricotta, drained for 30 minutes
- 1 head roasted garlic (cut the top off, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F for 40 minutes)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, wilted and squeezed completely dry
- 2 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ½ teaspoon white truffle oil, for finishing
- Black pepper and a little lemon zest
Assembly
- Mash 4 or 5 roasted garlic cloves into the ricotta with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stretch the dough, brush the surface lightly with olive oil, and dollop the ricotta mixture across the center.
- Add the mozzarella, then the spinach in small clumps. Squeezing the spinach dry is the key to avoiding a watery pizza.
- Bake at 800 to 850°F for about 90 seconds.
- Finish with Parmigiano, lemon zest, and a delicate drizzle of truffle oil. A little goes a long way. Too much and it overpowers everything.
d) The Smoky BBQ Chicken
A tribute to every backyard cookout I’ve ever loved. Smoked gouda doubles down on the fire’s flavor, and cilantro cuts through all that richness.
Ingredients
- 1 dough ball (7 ounces)
- ¼ cup tangy BBQ sauce (Kansas City style works best), plus extra for drizzling
- ½ cup cooked, shredded chicken (leftover rotisserie is perfect), tossed with 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
- 3 ounces shredded smoked gouda
- 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Assembly
- Stretch the dough and spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce, leaving the rim clear.
- Add half the gouda, then the chicken and red onion, and finish with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 800 to 850°F for about 2 minutes. BBQ sauce contains sugar, so watch closely and rotate often to prevent scorching.
- Top with cilantro and a light drizzle of extra sauce.