Spicy Soppressata and Hot Honey Pizza

Name: Spicy Soppressata and Hot Honey Pizza
Prep time: 1 h 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 1 h 17 min
Yield: 1 12-inch pizza, 2 to 3 servings
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 1 pound pizza dough, brought to room temperature for 45 minutes; 2 teaspoons olive oil, for coating the dough and brushing the crust; 2 tablespoons semolina flour, cornmeal, or all-purpose flour, for dusting the peel or pan; 6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded, about 1 1/2 cups; 3 ounces thinly sliced hot soppressata, about 18 to 22 slices; 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese; 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn, for finishing; 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes or plain pizza sauce; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced to a paste; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for extra heat; 3 tablespoons honey; 1 teaspoon Calabrian chile paste, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 pinch kosher salt

Imperial June 3, 2026June 3, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 1 12-inch pizza, 2 to 3 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes, including 45 minutes for dough to come to room temperature
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes

Quick Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough, room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons semolina flour, cornmeal, or all-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch for hot honey
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
3 ounces thinly sliced hot soppressata, about 20 slices
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Calabrian chile paste or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn

Do This

1. Let the pizza dough sit at room temperature for 45 minutes while the oven heats.
2. Place a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 45 minutes.
3. Mix crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt, oregano, and 1 teaspoon olive oil for a quick sauce.
4. Warm honey with Calabrian chile paste, vinegar, and a pinch of salt for 30 seconds; set aside.
5. Stretch dough into a 12-inch round on a floured peel or parchment-lined sheet pan.
6. Top with sauce, mozzarella, soppressata, and Parmesan; bake at 500°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Finish with hot honey and torn basil, rest 2 minutes, then slice and serve.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Big sweet-heat flavor: Salty, spicy soppressata meets warm honey with a little vinegar for balance.
Crispy pepperoni-style cups: Thin soppressata slices curl at the edges and turn beautifully crisp in a very hot oven.
Home-oven friendly: A pizza stone, steel, or preheated sheet pan helps you get a crisp bottom without special equipment.
Simple but impressive: Store-bought dough, quick sauce, and a bold finishing drizzle make this feel like a pizzeria pizza.

Grocery List

Produce: 1 small garlic clove, fresh basil, optional fresh red chile or extra basil for serving
Dairy: Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, Parmesan cheese
Meat & Deli: Thinly sliced hot soppressata
Bakery or Refrigerated: 1 pound pizza dough
Pantry: Crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce, olive oil, semolina flour, cornmeal, or all-purpose flour, honey, Calabrian chile paste or crushed red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, dried oregano

Full Ingredients

For the Pizza

1 pound pizza dough, brought to room temperature for 45 minutes
2 teaspoons olive oil, for coating the dough and brushing the crust
2 tablespoons semolina flour, cornmeal, or all-purpose flour, for dusting the peel or pan
6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded, about 1 1/2 cups
3 ounces thinly sliced hot soppressata, about 18 to 22 slices
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn, for finishing

For the Quick Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes or plain pizza sauce
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced to a paste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for extra heat

For the Hot Honey

3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Calabrian chile paste, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 pinch kosher salt

Spicy Soppressata and Hot Honey Pizza – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Bring the dough to room temperature

Lightly coat a medium bowl or the dough ball with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cover the dough loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. This relaxes the gluten so the dough stretches more easily and bakes with a better texture. If the dough resists stretching later, give it another 5 to 10 minutes to rest.

Step 2: Preheat the oven and pizza surface

Place a pizza stone or pizza steel on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500°F for at least 45 minutes. A long preheat is important because the hot surface helps the crust crisp quickly before the toppings overcook. If you do not have a stone or steel, place a heavy rimmed baking sheet upside down on the middle rack and preheat it the same way.

Step 3: Make the quick tomato sauce

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if using. Keep the sauce uncooked; it will brighten and concentrate in the hot oven. The sauce should taste lightly seasoned but not overly salty because the soppressata and Parmesan bring plenty of salt.

Step 4: Make the hot honey

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon Calabrian chile paste or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of kosher salt. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, just until warm and loose, then stir well. Set it aside while you build the pizza. If you prefer a smoother drizzle and used red pepper flakes, let the honey steep for 5 minutes, then strain it or leave the flakes in for extra heat.

Step 5: Stretch the pizza dough

Sprinkle a pizza peel with 2 tablespoons semolina flour, cornmeal, or all-purpose flour. If using a sheet pan instead of a peel, place a sheet of parchment paper on the pan and dust it lightly. Set the dough on the floured surface and gently press it from the center outward, leaving a slightly thicker 1/2-inch border around the edge. Lift and stretch the dough into a 12-inch round, rotating as you go. Try not to flatten the outer rim completely; that rim will become your puffy, chewy crust.

Step 6: Top the pizza

Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Arrange the soppressata slices across the pizza, slightly overlapping some pieces so they curl into crisp little cups as they bake. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Brush the exposed edge of the crust with a very thin layer of olive oil, using about 1 teaspoon.

Step 7: Bake until crisp, bubbly, and browned

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or steel and bake at 500°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is puffed and browned in spots, the cheese is melted and bubbling, and the soppressata edges are crisp. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pizza after 6 minutes. If baking on parchment, you can pull the parchment out after 5 minutes for a crisper bottom, then continue baking directly on the stone or steel.

Step 8: Finish with hot honey and basil

Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let it rest for 2 minutes so the cheese settles slightly. Drizzle generously with the warm hot honey, focusing on the soppressata cups and crust edges. Scatter torn basil over the top, slice into 6 pieces, and serve right away while the crust is crisp and the honey is still warm.

Pro Tips

Use low-moisture mozzarella: It melts beautifully without making the center watery. If using fresh mozzarella, tear it small and pat it very dry first.
Keep the sauce light: A thin layer is enough. Too much sauce can soften the crust and compete with the sweet-heat finish.
Slice the soppressata thin: Thin slices curl and crisp better than thick slices. Ask the deli to slice it thin if buying by the piece.
Do not skip the long preheat: The stone, steel, or upside-down sheet pan needs time to get fully hot for a crisp bottom.
Drizzle after baking: Hot honey can burn if baked for the full cook time, so add it at the end for the best flavor and texture.

Variations

Extra-spicy version: Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce and finish with thinly sliced fresh red chile.
Creamy burrata finish: After baking, tear 4 ounces burrata over the pizza, then drizzle with hot honey and add basil.
White pizza twist: Skip the tomato sauce and spread 1/3 cup ricotta mixed with 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt over the dough before adding mozzarella and soppressata.

Storage & Make-Ahead

This pizza is best served hot from the oven, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 375°F oven or toaster oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is warm and the crust crisps again. Avoid microwaving if possible because it softens the crust. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The hot honey can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored at room temperature in a sealed jar; warm it for 10 to 15 seconds before drizzling if it thickens.

Nutrition (per serving)