Ingredients:
For the Pizza Dough:
- 1 pound (450g) pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
For the Pizza Sauce:
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For Toppings:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions:
1. Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it can go (usually around 475-500°F or 245-260°C). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats.
2. Prepare the Pizza Dough:
- Dust a clean surface with flour. Roll out the pizza dough into a round or rectangular shape, depending on your preference. If you’re using a pizza stone, transfer the rolled-out dough onto a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to transfer to the hot stone.
3. Make the Pizza Sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. This will be your pizza sauce.
4. Assemble the Pizza:
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the rolled-out dough, leaving a small border around the edges for the crust.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
- Distribute the halved cherry or grape tomatoes and crumbled bacon evenly over the cheese.
5. Bake the Pizza:
- If you’re using a pizza stone, carefully slide the parchment paper with the pizza onto the preheated stone in the oven. If you don’t have a stone, you can bake the pizza on a baking sheet.
- Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
6. Garnish and Serve:
- Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle chopped fresh basil over the top. If you like a little heat, you can also add red pepper flakes at this point.
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the finished pizza for extra flavor and shine.
7. Slice and Enjoy:
- Slice your tomato and bacon pizza, serve it hot, and enjoy!
This homemade pizza combines the savory flavor of bacon with the freshness of cherry tomatoes and the richness of mozzarella cheese for a delightful and satisfying meal.