Description
Authentic Pizza Capricciosa recipe featuring a classic Italian-style wood-fired dough or a quick no-yeast dough option, topped with a flavorful tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, mushrooms, ham, and kalamata olives. Perfectly baked to a crispy golden crust with melted cheese for a delicious homemade pizza experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough Options
- 1 classic pizza dough (wood-fired Italian style)
- 1 fast no-yeast pizza dough (excellent alternative)
- or 1 store-bought pizza dough (30cm/12″)
Pizza Sauce
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tbsp water
- 1/2 garlic clove, finely minced (optional)
- 1/8 tsp each dried parsley, basil, and oregano (optional)
Toppings
- 1 1/3 cups (130 g) mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
- 1/2 cup artichokes from a jar, preferably oil-packed, drained and sliced
- 3 button mushrooms, sliced 3 mm / 1/8″
- 2/3 cup (70 g) shaved leg ham, torn into pieces (thinner slices preferred)
- 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives or black olives
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 250°C / 480°F (ensure it’s suitable for both fan and standard settings). Give the oven plenty of time to reach this high temperature so the pizza bakes evenly with a crispy crust.
- Prepare Pizza Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together tomato paste, salt, sugar, water, and if using, minced garlic and dried herbs. Stir until combined and set aside to let flavors meld.
- Shape the Pizza Dough: Choose your desired dough type and stretch it out by hand without using a rolling pin. Place the stretched dough onto a pizza pan or baking tray as per the dough instructions. For best results with a pizza stone, transfer dough accordingly (see notes).
- Add Sauce and Toppings: Spread the prepared pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1 cm (1/2 inch) border around the edges for the crust. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese first, then scatter ham pieces, olives, artichokes, and mushroom slices on top. If using the no-yeast dough, lightly brush or spray the exposed crust with olive oil to promote browning.
- Bake Your Pizza: Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the pizza after about 4 minutes to ensure even cooking. Bake until the cheese has golden spots and the crust turns crispy and browned.
- Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven, slice while hot, and enjoy immediately to savor the fresh, melty toppings and perfectly cooked crust.
Notes
- Use a pizza stone for a more authentic wood-fired crust if available, preheating it in the oven before baking.
- Freshly shredded mozzarella melts better and provides a creamier texture than pre-shredded varieties.
- Oil-packed artichokes add more flavor and moisture than water-packed ones.
- Thinner ham slices distribute more evenly, enhancing each bite.
- Brushing the exposed crust with olive oil on the no-yeast dough helps to achieve a golden, crispy edge.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Pizza Capricciosa, Italian pizza, homemade pizza, mozzarella pizza, artichoke pizza, quick pizza dough, no-yeast pizza, wood-fired style pizza
