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Pepperoni pizza with marijuana and cannabis leaves on dark background, by Stefan Tomic via iStock

Simple, Delicious Weed Pizza Recipe – Home Made & From Scratch!

Bryan McAllister

By Bryan McAllister

February 11, 2022

Pizza is one of the pillars of stoner culture. Some nights you just can’t beat staying on the couch with a close friend or loved one, hitting the bong, and chowing down on a slice (or three), but what if we told you these no longer had to be separate activities? That there was a way to combine your favorite food with your favorite strain and craft a home-made edible like no other?

Today, we’re going to show you how to make an incredible weed pizza completely from scratch – We’ll provide tips for cooking your pizza to perfection, tell you precisely what to look for when kneading your dough, and let you know our recommendations of which strains to pair with your chosen toppings. Ready for the ultimate stoner date night? Let’s dive in!

What Is Decarbing and Why Is It Important?

There’s nothing quite like biting into cheesy, tomatoey goodness after a smoke sesh, but before we start making our cannabis-infused pizza dough, one thing we need to understand is decarboxylation. 

This process, also known as “decarbing,” is essential whenever you’re crafting edibles from fresh cannabis flower. Decarbing activates the THC in the flower, allowing it to be drawn out with ease.

The easiest way to decarb flower is to bake it in the oven. You can find out exactly how to do this by checking out our article on “

”, but we have an abbreviated version of the process below.

If you’ve got any AVB (already vaped bud) lying around, this can also be used directly in your recipes; AVB has already been decarbed while being vaped, and doesn’t require any additional activation.

How Can You Add Weed to a Pizza?

There are a couple of ways to add weed to a pizza, but our recipe calls for an infused olive oil, meaning we’ll be using a typical pizza dough method but switching out standard olive oil for our cannabis-infused brew. In fact, if you already have a pizza recipe that you’re comfortable with and works for you? We recommend using that, and simply subbing the olive oil called for with your infused oil.

If you want to use cannabis concentrates to add THC to your pizza, then the process is even more straightforward. Decarbing can be skipped when using concentrates, and you can start infusing your oil straight away – Simply add your concentrate to the oil, heat, and stir until completely dissolved, no steeping or additional wait time needed. 

Also note: If you’re using an oil-type concentrate, then you can even add a few drops to your dough directly, but adding it into your oil and letting it mix will ensure an even blending of your cannabinoids into the finished dough.

Olive oil, tomatoes and basil, by Pezibear via Pixabay

How To Make Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil

Cannabis-infused olive oil is the key ingredient of our pizza recipe. You should aim to use a high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil if you can, but any olive oil will work fine. You can also substitute in a different oil if you prefer.

We’ll give a brief overview of the process here, but our main “

” overview article has in-depth steps and tricks you may want to read before proceeding with today’s recipe. Feel free to head over to that link, and we’ll see you back here when you’re ready!

Step 1: Wrap Decarbed Cannabis in Cheesecloth

The first step is to wrap your ground decarbed cannabis or concentrate in a fine cheesecloth. The cloth will allow cannabinoids to escape into the oil without letting any of the plant matter through.

Now, fill up a saucepan with water and set on your stove at the lowest possible temperature – You don’t want any form of boiling, simmering, or bubbling at all. The goal is to make the infusion “warm”, not “hot”. In this, the saucepan will act as the base of our “double boiler.”

Step 2: Add Cannabis to Olive Oil

Pour the olive oil into a glass, heat proof container; a lidded mason jar is perfect for this task, but do not seal the lid – Loosely placed on top, not tightened down at all and with plenty of ventilation space, is ideal. Add your cannabis parcels to the oil and submerge them in the liquid, before placing the glass container into the water.

Step 3: Heat The Oil In a Water Bath

Our aim is to slowly heat the olive oil and cannabis mixture so that the cannabinoids infuse into the oil. Again, make sure your temperature does not get high enough to cause bubbling in your water or oil, and make sure no water gets inside the infusing container. Be sure to keep an eye on the pot as you steep, to prevent the temperature from getting too high.

Step 4: Let The Cannabis Infuse

Over time, your oil will start to take on a darker color as it is infused; this change may not always be noticeable, especially if you’re using extra virgin olive oil; green-on-green isn’t very visible. We recommend keeping your cannabis steeping for around 8 hours, though a minimum of four will be sufficient if in a rush.

Try to stir the oil mixture, or shake the jar gently using a pair of tongs, every hour to improve the infusion. Once the time is up, take your glass container out of the pan and let it cool. Finally, if desired, squeeze out any remaining oil from the cannabis parcels and retain the used plant material – It can be processed again in the same way for another (albeit slightly weaker) infusion.

What Else Can Cannabis Infused Olive Oil Be Used For?

Cannabis olive oil isn’t just great for pizza. You can use it exactly like regular olive oil – it’s perfect for drizzling on pasta, making dips, and for baking other delicious edibles. 

However, be aware of the sensitivity to high temperatures that cannabinoids have – While baking inside of a dough or other baked good lends a layer of insulation to the cannabis, preventing it from burning and boiling away, high heat cooking methods such as deep frying or sauteing can run the risk of burning or otherwise ruining your infusion. 

With that in mind, unless added into a baked product, we recommend using any infused oil for low/no-heat cooking applications – The aforementioned dips, drizzles, and finishing touches.

Our Cannabis Pizza Recipe

The dough recipe we recommend is a completely standard method, just with our secret ingredient subbed in for regular olive oil.

You’ll need to learn a few different skills to craft the perfect weed pizza, from kneading to baking to proving. So don’t be afraid to do some extra research beforehand to learn exactly what you should be doing at every stage.

You won’t need any specialist equipment to make the dough, but the process is a little easier if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Ingredients

  • 1 and ⅓ cp luke-warm water
  • 1 pack (or 3/4ths tbsp) “Fast Acting” yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar (for an extra cannabis kick, feel free to use in place of regular sugar)
  • 2 tbsp infused olive oil
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 3 and ½ cp flour (plus additional for dusting surfaces)
  • Tomato sauce
  • Your favorite toppings
  • A bottle of wine and optional, but highly recommended

Step 1: Combine Water, Yeast, and Sugar

Whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Cover the mixture and leave it to rest for around 5 minutes, to ensure the yeast is activated.

Step 2: Add the Salt, Flour, and Infused Oil

Add the salt, flour, and cannabis oil to the bowl. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and beat the mixture for two minutes at a gentle speed. Alternatively, stir the ingredients together by hand until the flour has fully combined with the wet mix.

Step 3: Knead the Dough

Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and start kneading. If you’ve never kneaded dough before, check out the video below to get an idea of the general motion and movement you’re looking for. 

While kneading you can add flour to the surface to stop sticking, but try and keep this to a minimum, as too much additional flour will lead to a firmer, less “chewy” dough.

After 4-5 minutes of kneading, press your finger into the dough. If the dough bounces back straight away, then it’s ready for proofing. If not, keep on kneading!

Step 4: Proof the Dough

Grease a large bowl with spray or oil. Place the kneaded dough into the bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towel or plastic film. Leave the dough to rise in a warm area for around 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

Step 5: Shape Your Pizza

Once the dough has risen, punch it down to remove air bubbles and tip it out onto a lightly floured surface. If you’re making two pizzas, divide the dough in half and shape the pieces into smooth balls.

Take one dough ball and start pressing in the center with your fingers. The goal is to create a flattened center with a ring of thicker dough around the edge.

Pick up the dough by the thick edge and start rotating it through your hands. As you do, gently pull your hands apart to stretch out the dough. 

As you work the dough, keep your eyes open for what is known as “

” – Sections of the dough that stretch so thin you can begin to see light and color through them. This is exactly what you want from your dough, so if you see these window panes you’re on the right track!

Chef prepared pizza dough, by FG Trade via iStock
An example of a “window pane” – See how the dough holds together, but is translucent toward the center; this indicates good gluten formation

Keep going until the base is at your desired thickness. Of course, you can use a rolling pin instead, but we prefer the rustic look of a hand-stretched pie.

While stretching, if any tears or holes develop, pinch the hole closed with your fingertips and create a small “seam” in the dough by folding it in on itself before flattening and smoothing; this will help ensure tears don’t form as the pizza bakes.

Step 6: Prepare Your Surface

Once stretched, prepare your baking surface with a healthy amount of oil (a dusting of cornmeal on the baking surface is also a recommended addition, for more texture and flavor to the crust). Place your dough onto the baking tray and continue to stretch, working out thicker portions of the dough with your fingers until you’ve reached your desired size.

Using a fork, proceed to “dock” your dough, by perforating it with a series of small holes – These will serve as ventilation while your pizza bakes, preventing the formation of large air bubbles.

Step 6.5: Blind Bake Your Pizza

” is a technique that involves placing a type of dough (IE: pie, pizza, etc.) into the oven and letting it pre-bake before adding on your toppings. 

Wet toppings on top of raw dough can lead to soggy bottoms, and if cooking your pizza in your regular home oven (more on this later), blind baking is a recommended step before placing down your sauce, cheese, and other addons. However this step is not strictly necessary, particularly if using a thin crust dough or a specialty pizza oven, so this step may be omitted depending on circumstance.

To blind bake, simply place your docked dough into a preheated oven at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes, or until the crust just barely begins to take on a golden brown color. Then, remove your pizza from the oven and allow to cool for a few moments before adding your toppings.

Step 6: Add Your Toppings

Starting with a layer of tomato sauce (amount up to personal preference but we generally find less is more), then consider your toppings. For a general order we recommend

  • Cheese first
  • Meats second
  • Vegetables last

We do not recommend adding more cannabis oil to the top of the pizza before baking; given the high temperatures involved in baking pizza, and THC’s volatility when exposed to heat, we suggest saving your remaining cannabis oil and drizzling it on top of your crust after it’s been removed from the oven.

A man spreads pizza sauce on top of dough, by Jason Jarrach via Unsplash

Step 7: Bake the Pie

Finally, throw your weed-infused pizza into an oven at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes. Once your toppings are bubbling and your crust is golden brown, you’re ready to remove from the oven.

From here we recommend waiting a good 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into your pie – We know, we know, it’s torture, but your patience will be rewarded with a much easier to cut, serve, and eat slice.

How To Pair Your Pizza With The Perfect Cannabis Strain

If you want to take your weed pizzas to the next level, then you might want to think more carefully about the strains that you use for the infused oil. Every cannabis strain has its own flavors and qualities, which will be transferred to your final product.

Margherita

Margherita is a classic. Your friends might call you boring when you order one, but who cares? You know what you like, and the combination of rich tomato and delicious cheese is sometimes all you need.

When selecting a weed strain to use in a Margherita pizza, we want something that will compliment the flavors but isn’t going to overpower the simplicity of the pie. For this reason, we recommend OG Kush – even though this strain has many flavors going on, they are well balanced and are likely to compliment the richness of a Margherita.

Alfredo

An Alfredo pizza ditches the tomato pizza sauce in favor of a creamy Alfredo base. When combined with chicken, bacon pieces, and mozzarella, the result is an incredibly rich and tasty pizza. Any weed strain you choose must be able to cut through the cream and saltiness, which is why we’d point you towards the sharp and delicious Super Lemon Haze.

Pepperoni

Pepperoni is easily one of the most popular pizzas in the world. It also works great as a cannabis pizza, especially if you choose the perfect strain to complement its strong and powerful flavors. Sour Diesel is an ideal candidate for the job – zesty, potent, and incredibly tasty.

Hawaiian

Perhaps the most controversial pizza in the world, the Hawaiian combines saltiness and sweetness via ham and pineapple toppings. These flavors are already delicately balanced, so we need a weed strain that is going to maintain this equilibrium. Pineapple Express, with it’s already sweetly pineapple-reminiscent taste, certainly fits the bill.

Pear & Gorgonzola

This lesser-known pizza is one of our absolute favorites. The mixing of baked fruit and strong cheese might not sound delicious, but for some reason, it really works. We recommend the Wedding Cake strain to highlight the sweeter flavors of the pizza, while adding a beautifully rich undertone that cuts through the extremely-pungent gorgonzola.

A ham, pineapple and cheese pizza, by catalain via pixabay

Cannabis-Infused Pizza Dietary Alternatives

Here at High There, we think that everyone should be able to enjoy delicious edibles, whatever their dietary requirements might be. Whether you follow a vegan, gluten-free, or health-conscious diet, we’ll always try our best to provide viable alternatives.

With that in mind, here are some ways to transform our weed-infused pizza recipe to suit you without compromising on flavor or effects!

Vegan

Making your weed-infused pizza vegan could not be any more straightforward. In fact, our dough recipe above is completely vegan by default. So the only thing you need to think about is toppings – swap out the cheese for a vegan alternative, and you’re good to go!

Gluten-Free

Making gluten-free pizza dough is also super easy. You’ll need to get your hands on some

, and you may need a couple of teaspoons of if the flour doesn’t contain it. Both of these ingredients are readily available either online or at supermarkets and health stores.

You can pretty much follow our standard recipe word for word when you’re making vegan dough. That said, gluten-free dough can be a bit trickier to hand stretch than regular dough. We’d recommend using a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough circle and then gently pinch the edges to create a crust.

As with the vegan alternative, be sure to check that all your toppings are gluten-free before chucking them on your base.

FAQs

What are some common mistakes when making edibles?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when crafting weed edibles is not decarbing the cannabis first. We talked about this at the top of this article, but it’s worth repeating: If your weed is not decarbed before infusing (or making any other kind of edible) you simply will not get the effects you’re likely seeking.

Another common error is adding too much weed to your edible or infusion (assuming you want to be able to eat more than a slice of your pizza without being blasted into space). Dosing your oil infusion is a fine balancing act – For tips and advice, be sure to check out our cannabis coconut oil recipe linked above.

The final “mistake” newcomers can make is in their infusing process itself. Cannabis is a delicate plant, where small alterations in procedure can make big changes in the end product. When infusing, ask yourself what your intentions are: Do you want this infusion to be as strong as possible? Or do you want this infusion to focus on flavor instead? 

Taking steps like squeezing your cannabis as it strains can change the flavor profile of your end infusion, by squeezing out more of the lipids, fats, and chlorophyll contained within the plant matter – All things that carry their own flavors. The flavor you want to achieve is completely up to your personal tastes and preferences, so feel free to experiment with your methods for infusing; different techniques can make a massive difference in how your oil will taste.

Can I drizzle infused olive oil instead?

If you don’t want to use cannabis-infused oil in your weed pizza dough directly, then another option is to drizzle it over afterward. Nothing screams class like a drizzled olive oil, and the addition of THC makes it even more luxurious. This also allows people who may not be interested in getting stoned off a slice to enjoy the results of your hard labor!

Having a bottle of infused olive oil in your stores is always a great idea. You can drizzle it over pasta, add it to your bakes or use it for cooking – And, as we mentioned above, if you’re looking for a particularly potent experience, then why not use olive oil in your dough and drizzle it over too?

Are home pizza ovens worth it?

If you’re serious about making a great weed pizza, investing in a

is undoubtedly the way to go. A standard oven simply can’t recreate the temperature and conditions that a pizza oven provides. With a pizza oven, you’ll be able to get close to professional standard pizza in your own kitchen or garden.

A home pizza oven definitely isn’t essential, though, and you can still produce a delicious weed-infused pizza with standard kitchen equipment. 

Our biggest piece of advice is to get your baking surface as hot as possible before slipping your pie into the oven – A hot pizza stone will help the base crisp up nicely and allow the toppings to cook evenly. 

For this, simply leave your pizza stone in the oven as it preheats, and use a baking peel to build your pizza upon. Transferring your pizza from peel to stone is a learned method that takes practice, but after a few “lift ‘n shove”s you should be able to get the motion down smoothly.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, you’re set to go and make a delicious weed-infused pizza. Don’t be afraid to get creative and adjust our cannabis pizza recipe to suit you. Making pizza is all about having fun, and you’re bound to get better results when you’re enjoying yourself.

If you liked this recipe, we have tons more available to peruse. Feel free to check out a few of our favorites below!

Bryan McAllister

About The Author

Bryan McAllister

HIGH THERE MISSION

WE’RE A CREATIVE COMMUNITY — EXPLORING THE SCIENCE, CRAFT, AND CULTURE OF CANNABIS.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS ERADICATING THE STIGMA, MISINFORMATION, AND INEQUITIES SURROUNDING THIS PLANT, SO WE CAN UNLOCK ITS TRUE POTENTIAL FOR ALL.