Description
Romantic heart-shaped mini pizzas bring Italian culinary charm to your Valentine’s Day table. Crisp homemade dough and fresh toppings create an intimate dining experience you’ll cherish with your special someone.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (11 milliliters) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) warm water
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
Pizza Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) sugar
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Toppings:
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni slices
- Bell peppers
- Olives
- Mushrooms
- Pineapple
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar, allowing the mixture to foam and activate for 5 minutes at room temperature.
- Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl, then incorporate the yeast mixture and olive oil. Knead the dough thoroughly until smooth and elastic, approximately 7 minutes. Allow the dough to rise in a covered container for 60 minutes at room temperature.
- Craft the tomato sauce by blending crushed tomatoes with oregano, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to meld the flavors.
- Heat the oven to 400F (200C). Roll out the risen dough and transform it into heart-shaped mini pizzas using cookie cutters. Transfer the cut dough hearts onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Generously coat each heart-shaped dough with prepared tomato sauce. Sprinkle cheese evenly and distribute pepperoni and additional preferred toppings across the surface.
- Bake the mini pizzas in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, monitoring until the cheese melts completely and the edges turn golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- Select high-quality yeast to ensure proper dough rising and maximum flavor development.
- Use room temperature ingredients for better dough consistency and smoother mixing.
- Knead the dough gently but thoroughly to develop gluten and create a tender pizza crust.
- Experiment with alternative heart-shaped cutters for different sizes or themed pizza parties.
- Consider gluten-free flour blends or cauliflower crust for dietary restrictions.
- Pre-bake the crust slightly before adding toppings to prevent soggy bottoms.
- Try fresh herbs like basil or thyme in the sauce for an extra flavor boost.
- Use a pizza stone or cast-iron skillet for crispier crust edges and more even baking.
- Store leftover dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for convenient meal prep.
- Prep Time: 72 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg