Pizza Chahar Fasl (پیتزا چهار فصل) — Persian Four Seasons Pizza with Seafood, Beef, and Herbs

• 16 ozPizza dough (store-bought or homemade), room temperature (Makes one 30–32 cm / 12–13 in pizza)
• 10 gAll-purpose flour (For dusting)
• 1 tbspOlive oil (For brushing the rim)
• 6⅓ ozTomato passata (Or finely crushed tomatoes)
• 6 gGarlic, finely grated (About 2 cloves)
• 2 tspDried thyme (Persian pizzerias often lean on thyme)
• 1½ tspSea salt
• ½ tspBlack pepper, finely ground
• 9.2 ozPizza cheese (low-moisture mozzarella), shredded
• 4.9 ozShrimp, peeled and deveined (Medium shrimp, tails removed)
• 2 tspLemon juice
• 5⅝ ozMushrooms, thinly sliced
• 5⅝ ozBeef, thinly sliced (Sirloin or tenderloin; or use cooked ground beef if preferred)
• 2⅛ ozOnion, thinly sliced
• 4.9 ozArtichoke hearts, drained and quartered (Canned or jarred in brine; pat dry)
• 1¼ ozKilka (sprats) or anchovy fillets, drained (If salted anchovies, rinse and pat dry)
• 7¾ ozTomatoes, thinly sliced (Use firm ripe tomatoes to avoid excess water)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place a pizza stone or heavy sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 260°C (500°F) for 30 minutes. This long preheat is essential for a crisp base and helps the quadrants bake evenly without turning soggy.

2. 2

   Make the sauce by mixing passata, grated garlic, dried thyme, sea salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes so the thyme blooms and the garlic mellows into the tomatoes.

3. 3

   Prepare the shrimp quadrant: toss shrimp with lemon juice, 5 ml olive oil, and 0.25 tsp sea salt. Keep it chilled while you prep the other toppings so it stays firm and cooks quickly in the oven.

4. 4

   Prepare the mushroom quadrant: toss sliced mushrooms with 5 ml olive oil and 0.5 tsp dried thyme. Spread them on a plate in a single layer so they do not steam on the pizza and dilute the cheese.

5. 5

   Prepare the beef quadrant: heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 10 ml olive oil, then sauté onion for 2 minutes until lightly softened. Add the sliced beef, 0.5 tsp sea salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper, and cook for 2–3 minutes until just browned; the beef should still be slightly undercooked because it will finish in the oven.

6. 6

   Pat the artichoke hearts and kilka/anchovy fillets dry with paper towels. Removing surface moisture and excess oil keeps the pizza from getting greasy and helps the toppings stay in their quadrant.

7. 7

   On a floured surface, stretch the dough into a 30–32 cm (12–13 in) round, keeping a slightly thicker rim. Transfer it to a floured pizza peel or to parchment paper, then brush the rim with 15 ml olive oil for a golden, pizzeria-style crust.

8. 8

   Spread the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm border. Sprinkle 260 g shredded pizza cheese across the whole surface so the quadrants feel unified even though the toppings differ.

9. 9

   Mentally divide the pizza into four equal quadrants and top each section: shrimp in one, mushrooms in one, beef-and-onion in one, and artichoke hearts in one. Add the kilka/anchovy fillets over half of the artichoke quadrant (or cluster them in that quadrant) so their flavor stays distinct and does not dominate the entire pie.

10. 10

    Layer the tomato slices mainly across the mushroom and artichoke sides, overlapping lightly rather than stacking. This placement adds brightness like many Persian pizzerias do, while keeping the seafood and beef quadrants from becoming watery.

11. 11

    Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or pan and bake for 10–14 minutes, rotating once halfway through for even browning. The pizza is done when the rim is deep golden, the cheese is bubbling with browned spots, and the shrimp are opaque and curled.

12. 12

    Rest the pizza for 2 minutes before slicing so the cheese sets and the quadrants stay clean. Slice into 8 pieces and serve immediately while the thyme-forward aroma is strongest and the crust is crisp.