Description
This Sweet Spicy Hot Honey Garlic Pizza combines a crispy, golden crust with gooey mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, drizzled with a tantalizing hot honey garlic sauce that brings a perfect balance of sweetness, heat, and tang. Finished with fresh parsley, this 30-minute baked pizza is ideal for sharing and packs an exciting flavor punch.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Base
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cheese Topping
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic Butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
Hot Honey Garlic Sauce
- 0.25 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 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 the bottom and sides to ensure the crust crisps evenly during baking.
- Shape the dough: Place the pizza dough in the center of the pan and press it outward using your fingertips until it reaches the edges in an even layer. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 5–10 minutes before continuing to stretch.
- Brush garlic butter: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and 2 minced garlic cloves. Brush this garlic butter mixture evenly over the surface of the dough, covering right up to the edges to impart rich garlic flavor.
- Add cheese: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the dough, then top with grated Parmesan cheese, ensuring the cheese covers close to the edges of the crust for comprehensive coverage.
- Make the hot honey garlic sauce: In another small 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 initial sauce: Drizzle about half of the hot honey garlic mixture over the cheese in small pools rather than a solid layer, allowing the sauce to infuse with the cheese as it bakes.
- Bake the pizza: Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C). Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 13–15 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown, the cheese is bubbling, and the edges are crisp.
- Add remaining sauce: Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately drizzle the remaining hot honey garlic sauce evenly across the top to add a fresh burst of flavor and heat.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the pizza, let it rest for about 5 minutes to settle, then slice into 8 pieces and serve warm for the best taste experience.
Notes
- For extra crispy crust, use a preheated cast-iron skillet and ensure the oven is fully heated to 475°F.
- You can adjust the amount of hot sauce and crushed red pepper flakes to control the level of spiciness.
- Allowing the dough to rest if it springs back helps with easier stretching and better crust texture.
- Use fresh garlic to maximize flavor in both the garlic butter and hot honey garlic sauce.
- Letting the pizza rest before slicing helps the cheese set slightly and avoids topping sliding off.
