PREP

If your prepared pizza dough is chilling, remove it from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven or pizza oven in order to get to rippin' hot pizza temps. 

For a home oven: Arrange the rack in the middle of your oven and if using Baking Steel or Pizza Stone, place it on the rack before turning on the oven. Preheat the oven to 550°F or as high as your oven will go.  Allow the oven to heat up for at least 30-45 minutes. 

For outdoor pizza oven: Get your outdoor oven set up and ready, depending on the type and settings of your oven. I like to bake my pizzas in my Ooni somewhere in the 700 - 800°F range. When using the gas insert, it takes about 20 minutes to heat up.

GARLIC CREMA SAUCE

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together until blended. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. The sauce will develop more flavor the longer it melds together in the fridge. 

SHAPE & TOP ELOTE PIZZA

Lightly dust your hands and a pizza peel with flour and place the pizza dough ball on the peel.

Press the dough out on the pizza peel into a small, flat disc. Starting in the center and evenly pushing out towards the edges until it starts to spread into a larger, round disc.

Stretch the dough by holding one edge of the pizza dough with both of your hands and allow the weight and gravity to lightly stretch the dough towards the table as you carefully rotate the dough between your hands in a wheel turning motion. Keep the dough moving continuously as it stretches and pulls, being careful to not let it get so thin it tears. However, you want the dough to be thin enough that you can almost see through it when you hold it up to the light.

Generously sprinkle semolina flour over onto the pizza peel to keep the dough from sticking. Place the dough round on the peel and test the stickiness by giving it a good jiggle. The dough should slide around with ease. If it's sticking, add more semolina between the peel and the dough.

Top the pizza, first spoon some Garlic Crema Sauce onto the center of the stretched dough round. Use the spoon to spread the sauce evenly on the surface of the dough, leaving a rim around the edge. Next, sprinkle on the mozzarella, corn, pickled red onions and jalapeños. Crumble on the Cotija cheese. Don't over top your pizza, it will weigh down your pizza and make it difficult to slide into the oven.

BAKE THE ELOTE PIZZA

For a home oven:  If baking on a Baking Steel or Stone, use a pizza peel or the underside of a baking sheet to slide your pizza onto the baking steel or stone. Alternatively, shape and bake the pizza right on the underside of the baking sheet. Bake for 5-ish minutes and rotate the pizza. Then bake for another 3-5 minutes. It's ready when the cheese is melty and browning and the crust is bubbly and golden. Just keep an eye on it, times may vary depending on your oven. 

For outdoor pizza oven: Check the temperature of your preheated outdoor pizza oven, I like to bake my pizzas in my Ooni somewhere in the 700 - 800°F range. Give your pizza another jiggle on that peel to make sure it'll slide still. Launch the pizza into the oven by angling the peel towards the back of your oven. Quickly shimmy the peel away from the pizza as you slide it into the oven. Move quickly with confidence!

This pizza should cook in 60-90 seconds! After about 1 minute, carefully rotate the pizza with a metal pizza peel or a pair of long tongs to ensure even cooking, rotating about every 15 seconds until the cheese is melty and browning and the crust is bubbly and slightly charred.

FINISH & SERVE

Use a peel to transfer the pizza to a plate. Drizzle olive oil over the crust edge and  a bit on top. Then sprinkle with cilantro and green onions and spritz with a hit of lime. Serve immediately while hot and bubbly for the ultimate cheese pull experience!