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Pepperoni Pizza

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main courses•american•contains meat, contains gluten, contains dairy
2 hr 30 min•2 pizzas (8 slices each)•

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups warm water – 105–110°F
  • 1 tsp sugar (4.2g)
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 cups bread flour (480g)
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt – for dough
  • 2 tbsp olive oil – for dough
  • 1 tsp olive oil – for greasing bowl
  • 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes – hand-crushed and well-drained
  • 1 tsp garlic – finely grated or minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt – for sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil – for sauce
  • 2 tbsp semolina flour – for dusting peel
  • 12 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella – shredded
  • 6 ounces pepperoni – sliced
Pepperoni Pizza

Instructions

  1. 1.

    In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir and let stand until foamy, 5–10 minutes.

  2. 2.

    Add the bread flour, fine sea salt (for dough), and olive oil (for dough). Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a counter (or in a mixer) until smooth and elastic, 8–10 minutes.

  3. 3.

    Lightly coat a clean bowl with the olive oil (for greasing bowl). Place the dough inside, turn to coat, cover tightly, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 60–90 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the canned whole peeled tomatoes, garlic, dried oregano, fine sea salt (for sauce), and olive oil (for sauce). Stir well; do not cook. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Set aside.

  5. 5.

    Set an oven rack in the upper third and place a baking stone or steel on it. Preheat the oven to its hottest setting (500–550°F) for 45–60 minutes.

  6. 6.

    Turn the risen dough onto the counter, gently press out the air, and divide into 2 equal pieces. Form tight balls, cover, and rest 15 minutes to relax the gluten.

  7. 7.

    Generously dust a pizza peel with the semolina flour. Working with one dough ball at a time, stretch by hand into a 12-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker 1/2-inch rim.

  8. 8.

    Spread a thin layer of sauce (about 1/2 cup) over the dough, leaving the rim bare. Top evenly with half of the low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella (about 6 ounces).

  9. 9.

    Arrange half of the pepperoni (about 3 ounces) over the cheese in overlapping circles.

  10. 10.

    Launch the pizza onto the preheated stone or steel and bake until the crust is deep golden with a few charred spots and the cheese is bubbling, 7–10 minutes. Rotate once for even color if needed.

  11. 11.

    Transfer to a cutting board and cool 2 minutes. Slice and serve hot. Repeat stretching, topping, and baking with the second dough ball and remaining sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

Pepperoni Pizza is a beloved American pizzeria staple built on a crisp-chewy crust, a bright and lightly herbed tomato sauce, creamy melt from low-moisture mozzarella, and the savory snap of cured pepperoni. The balance is all about contrast: tangy tomatoes against buttery cheese and the spicy, smoky fat of pepperoni that crisps into little cups at high heat. Its appeal is universal and weeknight-friendly, yet satisfying enough for gatherings and game days alike.

Though pizza’s roots are Neapolitan, pepperoni itself is a 20th-century Italian American invention—an American-style cured pork-and-beef sausage seasoned with paprika and chili. By mid-century, as deck and conveyor ovens spread across the United States, pepperoni became the country’s most-ordered topping. The style standardized around no-cook, lightly seasoned sauce; low-moisture mozzarella for ideal melt and browning; and high-heat baking that gives pepperoni its signature curled, crisp edges.