Soppressata Pizza with Calabrian Chiles and Hot Honey

The current trend in pizza includes soppressata, chopped Calabrian peppers, and spicy honey drizzled on top. Calabrian chillies, a spicy chile native to Italy, give this pie its specific heat and fruity taste. The sweetness of the honey contrasts with the heat of the chillies.

Ingredients

• 1 ball Artisan Pizza Dough
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Semolina flour, for dusting
• ¼ cup Basic Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 ½ ounces torn fresh mozzarella
• 1 ounce thinly sliced soppressata
• ¼ ounce thinly sliced red onion
• ½ ounce jarred Calabrian chiles (optional)
• Fresh oregano leaves
• Hot Honey

Directions

Step-1: The chilled dough should be covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until it is cool enough to leave a fingerprint when pushed but is not quite frigid. Place one ball of dough on a well-floured work surface. Press the dough firmly all over, leaving a 1/2-inch border, using your floured fingers.

Step-2: If using a home oven, place baking steel or a big circular cast-iron pizza pan (such as a Lodge 15-inch) on the centre rack and warm to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat oven to 400 degrees and put the pan there to heat for approximately 30 minutes. If you’re using a pizza stone and an outdoor pizza oven, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for preheating the pizza stone and oven for 20 minutes on high. (Please note that we have only given gas oven cooking instructions since it is more challenging to regulate the heat when using a wood stove.)

Step-3: Curve the outside of your palm into a C, then press your hand firmly within the dough’s border to create a narrow ring about half an inch wide. Stretch the dough gently by lifting it onto the knuckles of both hands and turning it after each stretch so that it keeps its round form. To make a 10-inch circle with a uniform thickness and a somewhat thicker outer ring, continue gently stretching the dough, allowing gravity to help it expand. Form a circle with the dough and lay it on a pizza peel coated with semolina. Simple Pizza Sauce should be spread over the dough disc. Crumble some soppressata on top, red onion, chillies (if you want), and fresh oregano.

Step-4: Lightly shake the peel with the pizza on it to release it. Dust the peel with a combination of semolina and bread flour, then gently remove the edge of the pizza with a bench scraper if it seems stuck. With swift, decisive motions, unload pizza onto a hot baking sheet or directly onto an outdoor pizza oven stone. Slide half of the pizza onto the pan by setting the peel edge at a 20-degree angle on the pan and swiftly pulling back the peel. Pull the peel back and side to side to loosen the pizza, then slide it onto the pan.

Step-5: Using a home oven, you should bake it at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 3 minutes or until the crust is golden and slightly puffed around the edges. Turn the pan around by ninety degrees and turn the oven to broil. Broil pizza for 3 to 6 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Cook pizza in an outdoor pizza oven for 2 to 4 minutes, until the centre is set and the crust has raised and charred in areas, rotating pizza 90 degrees with a peel every 20 to 30 seconds.

Step-6: Peel the pizza and place it on a cutting board. Slice into wedges and drizzle with Hot Honey.

Sauce for Pizza on a Basic Level

Tomato sauce is at its finest when kept as simple as possible. We put several different brands and preparation methods of tomato sauce through their paces, ultimately settling on a raw sauce based on Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce as our favourite. Toss in freshly grated garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper after opening the can. When spread over dough, its acidity and sweet-savoury taste make it the standout of a cheese pizza while also providing a backdrop for the other toppings.

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