Pizza, what can be better than a traditional pepperoni pizza made at home! This is one of our family favorites!
For the dough:
“These are my two “go to recipes” for pizza dough.”
One is for a Napolitano style which has a relatively thin crisp crust. It is one you make ahead of time and use latter that day or latter in the week, you can also freeze it. This recipes makes two small (12″) pizzas.
The other recipes is a more Traditional style pizza dough with a tasty outside ridge for a crust. This will make two medium (14″) pizzas.
If you are in a hurry, or don’t want to make homemade dough, you can buy pre-made pizza dough at most grocery stores.
Additional topping to add to pepperoni pizza
- Pineapple: For a sweet and savory pizza add pineapple. Use fresh, canned chunks or rings. Drain well, and pat with paper towel to remove excess moisture, add to your pizza.
- Banana Peppers: Adds a little spice, mild heat that isn’t overwhelming.
Bell Peppers: Diced bell peppers add flavor, color and texture.
Olives: They add balance of acidity and add flavor, you can use black or green olives.
Onions: Use your favorite.
Mushrooms: Use freshly sliced mushrooms, adds additional protein as well as flavor.
Note: When using fresh vegetable and to reduce the chance of a soggy pizza, try sautéing or cooking the fresh vegetables that have a high water content prior to adding them, (like mushrooms or bell peppers). You don’t need to cook them throughly, just long enough for them to release excess moisture. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel before adding to the pizza.
Try our other recipes:
Chef at Roberta’s Pizza Dough (Make ahead thin Napolitano style crust)
Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Pizza Dough (Traditional crust)
Pepperoni Pizza
Equipment
- Pizza Stone, Sheet Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce (see below)
- 12 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
- flour for rolling
- olive oil
Quick Pizza Sauce
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce (or one 6-ounce can)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregao
- pinch sugar
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Place the pizza stone in the center of the oven and pre-heat oven to 450 °F
- Make the quick sauce by stirring the ingredients together, no need to cook it.
- Roll out the dough to about 14-16" circle. If the dough is too elastic or springy, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and try again.
- Add the sauce, using the back of a spoon, spread a light layer of the sauce across the top. Leave about 1/4 inch around the outside edge without sauce. The clean edge will form the outer crust of the pizza.
- Add the grated mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
- Add the pepperoni and/or any additional toppings of your choosing.
- Transfer the dough to a pizza peel, if you don't have a pizza peel slide it onto a flat no-edged cookie sheet instead.
- Using the peel, slide the pizza onto the pre-heated pizza stone. Cook for 8-12 minutes or until the outside crust is a nice golden brown.
- Remove from oven using the pizza peel. Let the pizza rest for a few minutes then slice into serving size pieces.
