Heart Shaped Pizza

Shape relaxed dough into a rough circle, pinch and pull the bottom into a gentle point for the tip, press a small inward dent at the top centre with your thumbs to form the cleft, then smooth the curves until it looks right; build the pizza on parchment so you can transfer it easily to a hot stone or tray and bake. This simple pinch-and-pull method is widely recommended because it’s fast and needs no extra tools.

The easiest no-stress option is to shape the dough by hand on parchment using the pinch-and-pull method, or if you’re nervous, par-bake a round for 3 to 5 minutes to set the crust, then cut a heart shape with a knife and finish baking with toppings. Both approaches are common fixes people use to avoid tearing or losing the shape.

Let chilled dough come to room temperature for at least 30 to 60 minutes so the gluten relaxes and if it still resists, cover and rest for another 10 to 15 minutes. Relaxed dough stretches smoothly and stops snapping back. Shaping on parchment and not overworking the dough also helps avoid re-tightening the gluten.

Fold a pepperoni slice in half, cut a small notch from the rounded edge with kitchen shears or a small knife, then open it up to reveal a heart; or use a tiny cookie cutter to press heart shapes from pepperoni slices for a neat look. Many home cooks use scissors or a small cutter for quick, consistent hearts.

Preheat your oven as hot as it safely goes for home ovens, generally 230 to 260°C / 450 to 500°F and bake on a preheated stone or heavy tray for about 10 to 15 minutes, checking from around 10 minutes. High heat and a hot surface give a crisp base and bubbling cheese without soggy edges.

Use a thin, even layer of sauce, avoid overloading with wet toppings, preheat your stone or tray well and consider a quick par-bake of the crust for a minute or two if your oven runs cool. These steps help the base set quickly and keep the edges crisp. Many cooks call out sauce quantity and a hot baking surface as the main fixes for soggy crust.

Yes. Store bought or refrigerated dough works very well as long as you let it sit at room temperature so it relaxes before shaping. Many recipes and pizza makers say using good quality store dough plus a hot oven and parchment makes shaping and baking a heart simple and reliable.