Garlic: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops of the garlic heads off, exposing the tips of most/all of the cloves. Drizzle on the olive oil, rotating the garlic around so that the oil seeps into all of the crevices in and between the cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each head in aluminum foil. Place directly in the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes until the cloves are deeply golden brown (see picture for reference!) Let cool.

Squeeze the cloves out of two of the heads and smash them into a paste for the pizza sauce. Take a little more care with the third head to remove the cloves mostly intact to sprinkle on the top of the pizza.

White sauce: In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat. When it’s melted and sizzling, add the flour. Whisk for one minute to “cook” the flour and prevent any raw flour taste. Reduce heat to medium low. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking constantly. Bring the sauce to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking consistently, until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add the roasted garlic paste, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.

Pizza: Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a pizza stone on the center rack while the oven is preheating.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a round shape. If you’re a pro pizza tosser, get those throws in! I also like to rest the dough on my fists and gently pull apart to stretch it out.

Sprinkle some semolina flour (cornmeal works too, but I prefer the finer texture of semolina) on a pizza peel. Arrange the dough near the edge of the peel so that it’s easier to slide off. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread an even layer of garlic sauce over the pizza. Add bacon/chicken/sausage/protein of choice, if using. Sprinkle on the provolone cheese and tear pieces of fresh mozzarella to distribute evenly. Nestle the roasted garlic cloves all over.

Use the pizza peel to transfer the pizza directly to the stone in the oven. Make sure that the dough is loosened on the peel with enough semolina underneath to easily slide off and then use a swift motion to transfer it to the stone. Bake for 14-15 minutes, until the crust is crispy golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and melty.

Sprinkle on fresh thyme leaves, basil and drizzle the pizza with hot honey and/or balsamic glaze.

Wow. Please invite me over for dinner when you make this.