Description
This Sweet Spicy Hot Honey Garlic Pizza combines a crispy, golden crust with a luscious blend of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, topped with a tantalizing mix of honey, garlic, and spicy hot sauce. Finished with fresh parsley, this pizza offers a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, baked to bubbling perfection in a cast-iron skillet or pizza pan.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Base and Cheese
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Hot Honey Garlic Sauce
- 0.25 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Lightly oil a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or round pizza pan with the olive oil, coating both the bottom and sides to help the crust crisp as it bakes.
- Shape the Dough: Place the pizza dough in the center of the pan and press it outward with your fingertips until it reaches the edges in an even layer. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes then continue stretching until it fits the pan.
- Apply Garlic Butter: In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with 2 of the minced garlic cloves. Brush this flavorful garlic butter evenly over the surface of the dough, extending right up to the edges of the crust.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the dough, then top with grated Parmesan cheese, ensuring the cheese covers close to the edges for a golden, cheesy crust.
- Mix Hot Honey Sauce: In another bowl, whisk together the honey, hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, the remaining minced garlic clove, and kosher salt until smooth and well combined.
- Drizzle Sauce Before Baking: Pour about half of the hot honey garlic mixture over the cheese, distributing it in small pools across the surface rather than as one solid layer to infuse flavor throughout.
- Bake the Pizza: Place the pizza in a preheated oven at 475°F (245°C) and bake for 13–15 minutes or until the crust turns deep golden brown, the cheese is bubbling, and the edges become crisp.
- Add Remaining Sauce: Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately drizzle the remaining hot honey garlic mixture evenly over the top to add an extra punch of flavor.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the pizza, let it rest for about 5 minutes so flavors meld, then slice into 8 pieces and serve warm for best taste.
Notes
- Allowing the dough to rest if it resists stretching will help achieve a better crust.
- Using a cast-iron skillet enhances crust crispiness but a pizza pan works as well.
- The honey sauce can be adjusted to taste by altering the amount of hot sauce and red pepper flakes.
- Letting the pizza rest after baking allows the cheese and sauce to set for easier slicing.
- Fresh garlic is key to the bold garlic flavor in this recipe.
- Use low-moisture mozzarella for less water content and a better melt.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
