Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 250 g pizza dough, room temperature
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic, minced
Toppings
- 100 g bacon, diced
- 150 g medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped in half
- 120 g marinated artichoke hearts, drained, patted very dry, and quartered
- 100 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 80 g asiago cheese, grated
- 5 g fresh oregano, leaves stripped from stems
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 260C/500F. Allow the stone to heat for at least 45 minutes to ensure a crisp crust.
In a skillet over medium heat, fry the diced raw bacon until crispy. Wash your hands and any surfaces thoroughly after handling the raw pork to prevent cross-contamination. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and leave the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the raw shrimp to the hot bacon fat, ensuring you wash your hands after handling the raw seafood. Saute just until the exterior turns pink, about 1 to 2 minutes. The shrimp will finish cooking in the oven. Remove from heat and set aside.
Stretch and shape the room temperature pizza dough on a lightly floured pizza peel into an even 30-centimeter circle, leaving a slightly thicker border for the crust.
Brush the shaped dough evenly with olive oil and minced garlic. Scatter the shredded mozzarella evenly over the base, then distribute the artichoke hearts, crispy bacon, and partially cooked shrimp. Top evenly with the grated Asiago cheese.
Slide the assembled pizza from the peel directly onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake at 260C/500F for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheeses are bubbling and the shrimp reaches a safe internal temperature of 63C/145F.
Remove the pizza from the oven. Garnish immediately with fresh oregano leaves, let rest for 3 minutes to allow the cheese to set, then slice and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Using low-moisture mozzarella prevents the pizza from becoming watery during the high-heat bake, which is especially important when using moisture-heavy toppings like artichokes.
- Cooking the shrimp briefly in the bacon fat builds a flavor bridge between the land and sea ingredients, but it is crucial to slightly undercook them in the pan so they do not become rubbery during the intense oven bake.
- Letting the pizza rest for exactly 3 minutes before slicing allows the molten cheese matrix to stabilize, preventing the heavier toppings from sliding off the crust when you pick up a slice.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store slices in an airtight container separated by parchment paper.
Reheating: Reheat in a 200C/400F oven or air fryer for 5 minutes until the crust is crispy and toppings are hot.
