From Your Oven to the Table: The Ultimate Pepperoni Pizza Recipe

Photo byAngie Bright

There's something undeniably satisfying about a fresh, homemade pepperoni pizza. Whether it's the smell of the dough baking in the oven or the gooey mozzarella bubbling on top, pepperoni pizza is a universally loved dish. It's quick, delicious, and much easier to make at home than you might think. Plus, making your own pizza allows you to customize every aspect, from the sauce to the toppings.

Why Make Pepperoni Pizza at Home?

Store-bought pizzas are convenient, but they rarely match the taste and freshness of homemade pizza. When you craft your pizza from scratch, you get to use fresh ingredients and control every step of the process. It’s an opportunity to create a pizza that's tailored exactly to your liking. Love extra pepperoni? Add as much as you want. Prefer your crust thin and crispy? You can do that, too!

The best part is that you don’t need fancy equipment. With just a few basic kitchen tools, you can recreate the kind of pizza you’d get at a pizzeria. Whether you're hosting a pizza night or simply craving a slice, this pepperoni pizza recipe will deliver every time.

Pepperoni Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 18 to 20 slices pepperoni
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano (optional)
• Flour for rolling and shaping dough

For the Quick Pizza Sauce:

• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (no salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Before anything, set your oven to 500°F. If you're using a pizza stone, make sure it's preheating as well for at least 20 minutes. A hot pizza stone will give your crust that perfect crispy texture.

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce

To make the quick pizza sauce, mix together the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a small bowl. This sauce recipe is perfect for one large pizza, but feel free to double it if you're making multiple pizzas.

Step 3: Roll Out the Dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pizza dough into a 14-inch diameter circle. If the dough is too stiff, let it rest for about 5 minutes to come to room temperature. This will make it easier to work with.

Step 4: Add the Toppings

Transfer the rolled dough onto a pizza peel or a large cast iron skillet if you don’t have a pizza stone. Spread a thin, even layer of pizza sauce over the dough, leaving about a 1/4-inch crust around the edges. Chop half of the pepperoni and scatter it over the sauce. Top the pizza with grated mozzarella cheese and the rest of the pepperoni slices. A sprinkle of ground black pepper can add a little extra flavor at this stage.

Step 5: Bake the Pizza

If you're using a pizza stone, slide your prepared pizza onto the stone in the oven. Bake it for about 6 minutes, then rotate the pizza halfway to ensure even cooking. Continue to bake for another 6-8 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and charred in spots.

For a cast iron skillet, after adding your toppings, preheat the skillet on high heat for 2 minutes to get the crust cooking immediately. Transfer it to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is perfectly golden.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!

Once your pizza is done, slide it onto a cutting board using the pizza peel. Let it rest for about a minute before slicing into pieces. Garnish with fresh oregano for an aromatic touch, and serve the pizza hot, preferably with a side salad.

Conclusion

Making pepperoni pizza at home is not just about creating a delicious meal; it's about the experience of making something with your own hands, tailored to your preferences. This recipe brings together a crisp, flavorful crust with savory pepperoni, melted mozzarella, and a quick, easy-to-make sauce. Whether you're making it for yourself, your family, or a crowd, it’s sure to satisfy any pizza craving.

Here are some great sources for making the perfect New York-style pizza dough at home:

1. Serious Eats provides a highly detailed recipe emphasizing the importance of sugar and oil in creating a tender crust. The dough is mixed quickly using a food processor and can be prepared the day before for ease. It suggests a rising time of at least one day, producing a thin, chewy crust​(Serious Eats).
2. Feeling Foodish highlights the importance of a long, cold fermentation process for that signature New York flavor. The dough rests in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours, enhancing both flavor and texture​(Feeling Foodish).
3. The Spruce Eats gives a more straightforward take on New York-style dough. Their recipe includes typical ingredients like bread flour, yeast, olive oil, and sugar, and walks you through kneading and proofing steps. This recipe also explains how to store the dough for future use​(The Spruce Eats).
4. Chef's Pencil focuses on the role of high-gluten flour for the dough’s structure and chewiness. It also provides insights on how yeast types affect flavor, as well as how to develop your own pizza dough starter​(Chef's Pencil).
5. Do You Even Pizza adds a useful tip for cold-proofing the dough for up to 48 hours and advises using a pizza stone or steel for that crisp, charred crust​(Do You Even Pizza).

These sources provide variations and in-depth techniques to help you master New York-style pizza dough!