Smoked Pizza comes off the pizza stone with a golden, crispy, smoke-kissed crust, homemade garlic tomato sauce, and three melted cheeses in every slice.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, minced basil, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, then stir and cook for 45 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. When the sauce starts to bubble gently, cook it for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil, and let the sauce cool to room temperature.
Put the pizza stone in the smoker, close the lid, and heat the smoker and stone to 500 degrees F.
If the dough is sticky, sprinkle a little flour on it. Press the middle of the dough with your fingers, leaving a 1 inch edge for the crust. Gently stretch and turn the dough until it is a round shape, about 10 to 12 inches wide. Be careful not to tear it.
Sprinkle plenty of semolina flour on the pizza peel and put the dough on the peel. Spread about 1/4 cup of sauce over the dough with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1 inch edge without sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top, then add small spoonfuls of ricotta. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pizza if you like. Gently shake the peel, and if the pizza does not slide, add more flour under the dough.
Slide the pizza onto the hot stone by moving the peel forward quickly, then pulling it back. Close the smoker and do not move the pizza for 15 minutes. It is ready when the crust is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the bottom is fully cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes total.
Use the peel to move the pizza to a cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
Let the dough sit out for 30 to 60 minutes before you stretch it. Cold dough snaps back and tears.
The sauce makes about 3 cups, far more than one pizza needs. Keep the extra in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for the next pizza night.
Semolina flour is the secret to the slide. Dust the peel generously and shake test before you launch.
No smoker? Bake the pizza on a preheated stone in a 500 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
Storage: leftover slices keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400 degree air fryer or oven for about 5 minutes to crisp the crust back up.