Spooktacular Pizza Ghosts: The Ultimate Halloween Treat
Create a fun and spooky Halloween treat with these ghost-shaped mozzarella pizzas, featuring homemade dough and a simple, flavorful tomato sauce. Perfect for a festive dinner!
Equipment
- Food processor with steel blade
- Blender
- Parchment paper
- Ghost cookie cutters
- Large bowl
- Plastic wrap
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons bread flour
- 1-1/8 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup filtered water
Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pizza Toppings & Assembly
- 6 slices sliced Mozzarella cheese for ghosts
- 1 Tablespoon sliced black olives
- 8 ounces Pizza Dough room temperature
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil for brushing skillet
- 1/3 cup Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for drizzling on cooked pizza
Instructions
Dough Preparation
- Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor, then add olive oil and water and process until a rough ball forms. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process again before transferring to a lightly floured surface to knead into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly, and let rise for about 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
Sauce Preparation
- Add all sauce ingredients to a blender and purée for 30 seconds until completely combined.
Ghost Preparation
- Trace an 11-inch circle on parchment paper and then flip it over.
- Using ghost cookie cutters, cut shapes from sliced Mozzarella cheese and arrange them on the parchment as desired for the finished pizza.
- Cut out eyes and mouths from black olive slices, place them on the mozzarella ghosts, and set them aside until the pizza is ready.
Pizza Assembly & Baking
- Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Brush 1-1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and set it aside.
- Divide the pizza dough in half, press and roll one piece into an 11-inch round, and transfer it to the prepared cast-iron skillet, gently pushing it to the corners. Spread 1/3 cup of Super-Simple Pizza Sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then top with Parmesan and shredded Mozzarella cheese.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes until the dough edge is set and the pizza is lightly puffed. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Finishing & Serving
- Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately position the prepared ghost cutouts on the hot pizza.
- Remove the pizza from the cast-iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil if desired, and serve.
Notes
Tips: The dough recipe yields enough for two pizzas, and the sauce recipe makes 2.5 cups, so you'll have extra for another pizza night! For best results, arrange your mozzarella ghosts on parchment paper before the pizza is cooked, then transfer them to the hot pizza straight from the oven to ensure they melt perfectly.