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Honey Bear Pizza Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 145 reviews

Honey Bear Pizza is a flavorful, hearty homemade pizza featuring a deliciously browned hot Italian sausage, layered mozzarella cheeses including smoked mozzarella, and a creamy white sauce base. Finished with a drizzle of raw honey, this pizza balances savory and sweet perfectly, baked to golden bubbly perfection on a thin crust.

Ingredients

Scale

Pizza Base

  • 1 Prepared Pizza Dough, at room temperature

Sauce

  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup White Sauce (recipe referenced from Wild Palms Pizza)

Cheeses

  • ~1/2 cup Mozzarella, shredded
  • ~1/2 cup Smoked Mozzarella

Toppings

  • 12–16 oz. Hot Italian Sausage (4–5 links), casings removed, browned and crumbled
  • 1/4 Large Red Onion, sliced into thin rounds

Finishing

  • Drizzle of Raw Honey, to finish

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the pizza.
  2. Prepare Dough: Let the prepared pizza dough sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten, which makes it easier to stretch, with 45 minutes being ideal.
  3. Brown Sausage: Remove casings from the hot Italian sausage links and brown the meat over medium-low heat. Use a wooden spatula to break the sausage into small crumbles, then drain excess fat and set aside.
  4. Make White Sauce: Prepare or obtain the white sauce as per the referenced recipe from Wild Palms Pizza post.
  5. Prepare Pan: Lightly coat a quarter sheet pan with olive oil to prevent sticking and place it near your assembly area.
  6. Roll Dough: On a floured surface, roll out the dough to approximately 9 by 13 inches and transfer it to the prepared sheet pan.
  7. Spread Sauce and First Cheese Layer: Evenly spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the dough, followed by a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.
  8. Layer Toppings: Add a layer of browned sausage, then sprinkle more cheese. Add the red onion slices next, alternating more cheese layers between regular and smoked mozzarella.
  9. Repeat Layers: Continue layering sausage, onions, and alternating cheeses until all sausage is used, finishing with a final cheese layer on top.
  10. Bake: Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly.
  11. Finish: Remove the pizza from the oven and finish with a drizzle of raw honey to add a subtle sweetness that complements the savory flavors.

Notes

  • Allowing dough to rest at room temperature helps achieve a tender crust.
  • Use both regular and smoked mozzarella for a deeper, layered cheese flavor.
  • Drain sausage well to prevent a greasy pizza.
  • Adjust the amount of raw honey to your taste preference for sweetness.
  • If you don’t have white sauce, a béchamel or Alfredo sauce can be used as a substitute.
  • Be careful not to overbake to maintain crust crispness and prevent cheese from drying out.

Keywords: Honey Bear Pizza, white sauce pizza, hot Italian sausage pizza, smoked mozzarella pizza, homemade pizza recipe

Find it online: https://cookwithlea.com/honey-bear-pizza-recipe/