Okay, so, the other day I stumbled upon this crazy thing called “black goo pizza.” I mean, the name itself is kinda weird, right? But it looked so intriguing, I just had to try making it myself. It all started with seeing this picture online… and well, one thing led to another.
Getting Started: The Dough
First things first, I needed to figure out what made this pizza “black.” Turns out, it’s activated charcoal! Sounds kinda scary, but it’s actually pretty tasteless and gives the dough this super cool, dark color. So I grabbed my usual pizza dough recipe, nothing fancy, just flour, water, yeast, a pinch of salt, and a little olive oil.
The trick was getting the charcoal mixed in right. I added about a tablespoon of activated charcoal powder to the dry ingredients. Pro-tip(kinda): Wear gloves if you don’t want black-stained hands for a day! I learned that the hard way, hah!
I kneaded the dough like usual, and man, watching it turn from pale to this deep, inky black was pretty awesome. It felt exactly the same as regular dough, just…black. Once it was all smooth and elastic, I popped it in a bowl, covered it with a damp towel, and let it rise for about an hour. Good things take time.
Prepping the Toppings
While the dough was doing its thing, I started on the toppings. I wanted to keep it simple, to really let that black crust shine. The “goo” is mostly the black crust. So, I went with:
- Some good ol’ tomato sauce.
- Fresh mozzarella, because, you know, pizza.
- A sprinkle of Parmesan, for that extra salty kick.
- Fresh basil leaves, gotta have some green!
I prepped it all. Put sauce in a bowl, sliced the mozzarella, and shredded the parmesan.
Putting It All Together
After the dough had doubled in size, I punched it down (satisfying!) and rolled it out on a lightly floured surface. I made mine pretty thin, because I like a crispy crust. Then, I carefully transferred it to a pizza pan. Time for the fun part!
I spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a little edge for the crust. Then, I layered on the mozzarella and sprinkled the Parmesan all over. Finally, I popped it into a preheated oven at around 450°F (230°C). I think. I kinda eyeballed it. I have made pizza before, and I kinda just know when the oven is hot enough.
It baked for about 12-15 minutes, until the crust was crispy and the cheese was all bubbly and melted. The smell… oh man, the smell was amazing. Just like regular pizza, but with this mysterious, dark edge.
The Final Result
Once it was out of the oven, I let it cool for a few minutes (the hardest part!), then scattered the fresh basil leaves on top. And there it was: my very own black goo pizza!
Honestly, it tasted just like regular pizza, but with a slightly earthier flavor. The charcoal doesn’t really add much taste, but it makes the whole experience so much more…interesting. Plus, it looks super cool. Definitely a conversation starter. My friends were super weirded out, but totally impressed, too. Worth the slight mess, and the black-stained fingers, for sure. I will be making this again, probably.
