Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pizza dough, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup thick pizza sauce or marinara
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 8 slices low-moisture mozzarella or provolone cheese
  • 1/2 cup whole black olives, pitted
  • 1/4 cup pepperoni slices
  • 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). Divide the pizza dough into four equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into an 8-inch circle or an elongated oval shape. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the edges with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.
  2. Mix the pizza sauce with dried oregano and smoked paprika. Spread 2–3 tablespoons of the sauce onto each pizza base, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place the bases in the oven to par-bake for 5–7 minutes until the crust is slightly firm but not fully browned.
  3. While par-baking, prepare the toppings: use a knife or cookie cutter to shape cheese slices into ghosts. Slice olives in half for spider bodies and cut additional halves into slivers for legs. Cut pepperoni into jack-o'-lantern shapes.
  4. Remove pizzas from the oven. Arrange cheese ghosts, olive spiders, and pepperoni jack-o'-lanterns on the sauce. Use black sesame seeds for the ghost eyes. Return to the oven for 3–5 minutes until the cheese is just melted but retains its shape. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.