The Bolognese sauce

1. Warm 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot on the stove over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil moves easily in the pot, add the diced onions, carrots,  and celery, along with a few pinches of salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
2. After 3-4 minutes, stir it again and drop in the minced garlic, letting it sit on top of the vegetables for 1-2 minutes.
3. Continue to cook and stir the vegetables until they start to brown, about 10 minutes total. Then, with your hands, crumble the beef and Italian sausage into the pot, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and turn the heat up to medium-high
4. Cook the meat, stirring and using the wooden spoon to break the meat into small bits as it browns. A potato masher works great here.
5. Keep cooking the meat and vegetables until the meat is browned, and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
6. Pour the wine into the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Reduce the wine for 3-5 minutes, using your wooden spoon to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
7. Next, add the tomato paste and stir to combine it with the meat and vegetables. Followed by the diced tomatoes, tomato puree or passata, 2 bay leaves, and 1 1/2 cups of water.
8. Bring the pot up to a boil, then lower it to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook and stir occasionally for an hour. If you notice the food sticking to the bottom of the sauce looking dry, add more water 1/2 cup at a time.
9. After an hour, the meat should be a lot more tender, and the gravy should get thick. Add the milk and stir to combine. Then, taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as you like.
10. (Optional) To further get the texture of a long simmer, a trick I use is to hit the sauce with an immersion blender to mince the meat and vegetables just a bit more. Don't blend the whole pot, but just hit 4 or 5 spots for a second or two.

The Pizza

1. If you are using a precooked crust, top it with 1-2 cups of sauce and 1-2 cups of shredded cheese. Cook according to the package directions.
2. If you are making or using raw dough, preheat the oven to 475F and grease your baking pan.
3. Do what you need to prepare your dough for the toppings. (See the link in detailed instructions in the post.) Then spread 1-2 cups of bolognese sauce on top, leaving a 1" edge. Top with 1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake the pizza in the oven for 12-20 minutes. Pop any large bubbles that form.
5. Let the pizza rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing.