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I am a bona fide pepperoni pizza girl. Sure, I’ll eat other varieties without batting an eye (I’m still drooling over the Portobello Pesto Pizza), but my heart belongs to pepperoni pizza. It’s comfort food for my sports-loving soul. There’s nothing better than enjoying a cheesy pepperoni pizza while watching Sunday football or a hockey game. I’ve made countless pepperoni pizzas at home, and I finally realized that I had yet to share my favorite recipe here. It’s nothing terribly fancy – my favorite pizza dough, a very simple sauce, and lots of pepperoni and cheese.

There is one “secret” to my pepperoni pizza. The one and only pet peeve I have with getting a pepperoni pizza from a local shop is that many times there is a river of grease from the pepperoni sitting on top of the cheese. Yuck! To remedy that, I do this super quick trick:

Take a large plate and line it with a double layer of paper towel. Lay all of your pepperoni on top.

Cover it with another double layer of paper towels.

Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, and voila! You have pulled the majority of the grease out of the pepperoni!

This definitely isn’t a necessary step, but one that I always do – it just tastes so much better without that layer of grease. And since I pull most of the grease out, I nestle the pepperoni under the cheese so that it doesn’t get too burnt and crispy on top. Again, personal preference so feel free to do what you like!

Important question: What’s your favorite type of pizza??

One year ago: Salted Caramel Brownies
Two years ago: Chocolate Chip & Pretzel Cookie Bars
Three years ago: Zebra Cake
Four years ago: Samoas Brownies[/donotprint]

Pepperoni pizza on a wood cutting board after baking.

Pepperoni Pizza

Yield: 2 servings (One 12-inch pizza)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours
Total Time: 40 minutes
A classic recipe for a favorite pizza
4.50 (2 ratings)
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

For the Pizza Dough:

  • ½ cup (125 ml) warm water, about 110 degrees
  • 1 envelope instant yeast, (2¼ teaspoons)
  • 1¼ cups (312.5 ml) water, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups (500 g) bread flour
  • 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) salt

For the Sauce:*

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28- ounce (793.79 g) can crushed tomatoes

For the Toppings:

  • 4 ounces (113.4 g) sliced pepperoni
  • 4 to 8 ounces (113 to 226 g) 1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or mix of mozzarella and provolone), depending how how cheesy you like your pizza
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • 1. Make the Pizza Dough: Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
  • 2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.
  • 3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.
  • 4. Assemble the Pizza: Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven (if using). Heat oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.
  • 5. While the oven is preheating, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • 6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. (You only need one ball of dough for this recipe, so at this point you can wrap one ball of dough in plastic wrap, put in a ziploc bag and freeze for another day – just move it to the refrigerator the morning you plan to use it or thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours).
  • 7. Flatten the dough ball into a disk using the palms of your hands. Starting at the center of the disk and working outward, use your fingertips to press the dough until it is about ½-inch thick. Holding the center in place, stretch the dough outward. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and stretch again. Repeat until the dough reaches a diameter of 12 inches. Use your palm to press down and flatten the thick edge of the dough.Transfer your prepared pizza dough to a pizza peel, parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza pan (whichever you are using).
  • 8. Spread ¾ cup of the sauce over the pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch border uncovered. Place the pepperoni slices evenly over the sauce, and then top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Slide the dough onto the heated stone, or place your baking sheet or pizza pan into the oven.
  • 9. Bake until the crust edges brown and the cheese is golden brown in spots, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and serve (be careful, it will be hot!).
  • *Note: The sauce recipe makes enough for 4 pizzas but I can only ever find crushed tomatoes in 28-ounce cans (the bane of my existence!). If you are only making one pizza, you can portion out the rest and freeze it for another time.
Calories: 1402kcal, Carbohydrates: 212g, Protein: 64g, Fat: 72g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 107mg, Sodium: 3719mg, Potassium: 1614mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 1275IU, Vitamin C: 37.5mg, Calcium: 536mg, Iron: 8.6mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Author: Michelle
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian