This post will show you How To Make Heart Shaped Pizza - an easy and delicious way to make Valentine’s Day at home super special. Add your favorite toppings, snuggle up, and enjoy with your sweetheart or the whole family.
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Valentine’s Heart Shaped Pizza Recipe
Whether you want to save a little money or just want to avoid the crowds, this Valentine’s Heart Shaped Pizza recipe is the perfect treat for date night at home on February 14. Making a fun dinner at home can feel even more special, especially when it involves pizza.
You can create a single sweetheart special for two, or make an individual thin crust Pizza Heart for everyone in the family. Luckily this recipe is also as easy as ordering take out delivered right to your door. There’s no reason you can’t make Heart Shaped Pizza for the entire month of February and beyond.
If you want to adventure beyond pepperoni, you might also like our Combination Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, and Taco Pizza.
Ingredients in Sweetheart Pizza
These are the ingredients needed to make homemade pizza dough. If you’re looking for a shortcut, you can also use store-bought pizza dough and skip this step entirely!
- Water - warm water is best because it helps to wake up your yeast. It should be between 95-110 degrees F.
- Sugar - I use regular granulated sugar, but you could also substitute honey.
- Yeast - this recipe calls for active dry yeast which needs to be proofed (check out our Homemade White Bread recipe for more info on activating yeast). If you use instant yeast, you can skip the proofing step and just mix the pizza dough together, knead, and then let rise.
- Salt - salt is important for the flavor and for the structure of any bread, so don’t forget to add it!
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour but you can also use bread flour.
- Oil - this recipe calls for olive oil, but you could substitute avocado oil or any other cooking oil that you’d like.
Homemade Pizza Topping Ideas
Besides pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and pepperoni, here are a few ideas for toppings to try:
- Sausage
- Canadian bacon
- Bacon bits
- Black olives
- Onions (cooked or raw)
- Red peppers
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Fresh basil or Pesto
- Dried oregano
How to Make A Heart Shaped Pizza
- Proof the yeast. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Mix the pizza dough. Once your yeast has “proofed,” add the olive oil, salt and about 1½ cups of flour. Using a paddle or dough hook, mix until all the ingredients are completely combined. Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a ball.
- Let the dough rise. If you are making the dough ahead, wrap it tightly and store in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Shape dough into two hearts. Divide dough in half and with lightly floured hands, stretch and shape your dough into a heart. You can use a pizza cutter to sharpen up the edges if desired. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Add toppings. Add your favorite sauce, toppings, and cheeses, and brush the edges with olive oil or melted butter.
- Bake. For a thin-crust pizza*, bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the edges and bottom are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- Serve. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Heart Shaped Pizza Flavor Variations
Whether you're making it for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or just to show someone you care, there are countless ways to customize your Heart Shaped Pizza to suit your taste. Here are some delicious recipe variations to try:
- Margherita Heart Pizza: Start with a traditional margherita pizza base, using fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves. Arrange the toppings in the shape of a heart for a visually stunning and tasty treat.
- BBQ Chicken Heart Pizza: Add a smoky twist to your heart shaped pizza by topping it with BBQ sauce, grilled chicken, red onions, and a blend of cheeses.
- Veggie Lover's Heart Pizza: If you prefer a vegetarian option, load up your pizza with an array of colorful vegetables. Think bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, and spinach.
- Hawaiian Heart Pizza: If you are a pineapple on pizza lover, top your heart shaped pizza with ham, pineapple, and mozzarella cheese.
- Meat Lover's Heart Pizza: For the meat lovers out there, pile on your favorites such as pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and ham. This hearty pizza variation is sure to satisfy even the biggest appetite.
- Four Cheese Heart Pizza: Combine mozzarella, cheddar, provolone, and Parmesan for a decadent and gooey delight.
Frequently Asked Questions
The easiest way to shape your dough into a pizza is to roll it out into a circle that’s about 12” wide. From there, you can either use your hands to form a heart shape or take a clean pair of kitchen shears (or a pizza cutter) and cut a heart shape.
Even though this Heart Shaped Pizza isn’t a circle, I still like to bake on a pizza pan. Pizza pans are vented, making them bake evenly. If you don’t have a pizza pan, you can bake on baking sheets, or even in a cast iron skillet.
Yes! You can mix the dough the day before and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Or, you can freeze the dough for up to 1 month. If you choose to freeze the dough, pull it into the fridge the night before to thaw.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: leftover pizza can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: to freeze unbaked pizza dough, store in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. The day before you want to use it, transfer the frozen dough to the fridge to thaw.
- To reheat: you can reheat leftover pizza in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes.
Heart Shaped Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water warm (95-110 degrees F)
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2.5 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or any cooking oil
Pizza Toppings
- ⅔ cup Marinara or Pizza Sauce
- 3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
- 4 oz Pepperoni
Instructions
To Make the Pizza Dough
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Once your yeast has “proofed,” add the olive oil, salt and about 1½ cups of flour. Using a paddle or dough hook, mix until all the ingredients are completely combined.
- Add in the rest of the flour, about a ¼ cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a ball.
- If you are making the dough ahead, wrap it tightly and store in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
To Bake Your Homemade Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet or pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide dough in half and with lightly floured hands, stretch and shape your dough into a heart. You can use a pizza cutter to sharpen up the edges if desired. Repeat with second half of dough.
- Add your favorite sauce, toppings, and cheeses, and brush the edges with olive oil or melted butter.
- For a *thin-crust pizza, bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Homemade Pizza Recipes
- Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza
- Taco Pizza
- Grilled Pizza Dough
- How to Make French Bread Pizza
- Three Cheese Pesto Flatbread
- Pesto and Sausage Homemade Flatbread
- Combination Pizza Recipe
- Deep Dish Pizza
- Hawaiian Pizza
- More Pizza Recipes
- More Valentine's Day Ideas
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
This homemade Heart Shaped Pizza is as easy as ordering delivery. Shape into large hearts to share with your sweetheart, or make individual pizzas for the whole family.
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