Pesto, lemon, red pepper, honey make satisfying pie

We pull out preserves. Fragrant flowers spun into honey. Brilliant basil, crushed into pesto. Creamy mozzarella, smoked sultry for the long haul.

Sweet and spicy, sharp and soothing, bright and mellow meld into a savory pie. One that’s satisfying in any forecast.

Smoky Lemon Pizza

1 pound prepared pizza dough

Cornmeal

¼ cup prepared pesto

6 ounces shredded smoked mozzarella

1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons honey

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Set a pizza stone (or upside-down baking sheet) on the lowest rack of the oven. Heat oven to 500 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to an 11inch circle. Let rest 15 minutes. Generously dust a pizza peel (or a baking sheet) with cornmeal. Gently set dough round on cornmeal.

Spread pesto over dough, leaving bare about ½-inch at the perimeter. Sprinkle with cheese. Scatter on lemon slices. Season lightly with salt. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with red pepper.

Carefully slide the pizza off the peel (or baking sheet) and onto the baking stone. Open the oven door. Lower peel to about the same level as the stone, with a slight downward angle. Forcefully shove the peel toward the stone, then quickly retract it, letting the pizza slide onto the stone.

Bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Makes 1 (11-inch) pizza.