Pepperoni Pizza
intro
Crispy chewy crust, tangy tomato sauce, gooey melted mozzarella, and spicy curled pepperoni: this takeout favorite is simple to make perfectly at home.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat oven and prep pan
Place a 12-inch pizza stone or rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven, then preheat the oven to 260°C (500°F) for 20 full minutes to ensure the cooking surface is blazing hot for a crispy, well-baked crust. Lightly dust a 12-inch piece of parchment paper with 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of the all-purpose flour to prevent the dough from sticking as it bakes.
Shape the pizza crust
Place the 450g room-temperature pizza dough on the floured parchment paper, dusting your fingertips with the remaining 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of all-purpose flour if the dough sticks. Press it gently from the center outward with your fingertips to form a 12-inch round, leaving a 1-inch thicker border for the crust edge. Do not use a rolling pin, as this will press out air bubbles that create a light, chewy texture. Let the shaped dough rest for 5 minutes before adding toppings.
Add sauce and seasonings
Spoon the 120ml pizza sauce onto the center of the shaped dough, spreading it in a thin, even layer out to the crust border with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the sauce evenly with 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, then drizzle with 7.5ml (1/2 tablespoon) of extra-virgin olive oil. Avoid piling on too much sauce, as this will make the crust soggy as it bakes.
Top with cheese and pepperoni
Sprinkle the 225g shredded low-moisture mozzarella evenly over the sauced surface, followed by the 25g grated parmesan. Arrange the 115g pepperoni slices in a single, slightly overlapping layer across the cheese, leaving 1/2-inch gaps between slices so they can crisp and curl upward as they cook.
Bake the pizza
Carefully slide the parchment paper with the topped pizza directly onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 260°C (500°F), until the crust is deep golden brown and crispy at the edges, the cheese is fully melted and bubbly across the surface, and the pepperoni slices are curled with crisp, browned edges.
Rest and slice pizza
Use a pizza peel or large spatula to transfer the baked pizza to a wire cooling rack. Drizzle the remaining 7.5ml (1/2 tablespoon) olive oil over the hot crust edge, then let the pizza rest for 3 minutes to let the cheese set before slicing into 8 equal wedges to serve.
Tips
2.Use low-moisture mozzarella for this recipe; high-moisture fresh mozzarella releases excess water as it melts, leading to a soggy, undercooked center crust.
3.Pat pepperoni slices lightly with paper towels before adding them to the pizza; this removes excess surface fat and prevents greasy pools from forming on the finished cheese.
OMG this pepperoni pizza recipe is a total game changer for our Friday family dinner nights! My kids used to beg for delivery every week, but they said this homemade version tastes 10x better. The crust got perfectly crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle, just how we like it. Only note is I added a little extra parmesan on top before baking, no regrets!
Made this for my poker night with the guys last weekend, everyone went back for thirds. The cup-and-char pepperoni got those perfect crispy grease pools on top, SO good. Will absolutely be making this again for the next potluck at work.
Okay as someone who can barely burn toast without messing it up, I was intimidated by the medium difficulty rating but this was actually so doable! My only issue was my crust came out a little soggier in the center than I wanted, any tips?
Wait this is perfect for meal prep! I pre-baked four crusts on Sunday, added toppings, and froze them. All I have to do after work is pop one in the oven for 10 minutes and I have fresh pizza way better than the frozen grocery store stuff. Saved me so much money on takeout this week!
Finally a homemade pizza recipe that doesn’t require a fancy pizza oven! I used my regular old baking sheet, preheated it like the recipe said, and got that perfect crispy crust I’ve been chasing for years. The pepperoni to cheese ratio is spot on too, no skimping.
My 7 year old is the pickiest eater on the planet, usually he picks all the toppings off pizza and only eats the crust. But he ate two whole slices of this without complaining! I almost cried. 10/10 will be in our weekly rotation forever.
Made this in my tiny dorm oven last night for my roommates, we were all blown away. Total cook time was only 35 minutes, which is way faster than waiting for Domino’s delivery to our dorm, and it tasted way better too. Only thing I didn’t have was a pizza stone, so I used a flipped over baking sheet and it still worked great!
I’ve been making homemade pizza since the 80s, and this recipe is hands down the best classic pepperoni version I’ve ever tried. The sauce is perfectly seasoned, not too sweet or too tangy, and the crust recipe doesn’t require weird specialty ingredients. Brought it to my church potluck last Sunday and not a single slice was left.
Made this before a big day hike last weekend, packed a couple slices in my backpack, and it was the perfect trail lunch. Even cold it was still SO good, the pepperoni didn’t get greasy and soggy like takeout pizza does when it sits. Will be a staple for all my future camping trips too.
Made this for my wife for our first at-home date night since our baby was born, and she said it was better than the fancy wood-fired pizza we had on our honeymoon. Total husband win. The only mess up I made was I put too much pepperoni on the first pie, but honestly it was still amazing.
Wait wait wait, the cheese pull on this pizza is INSANE. I used a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and a little provolone like the recipe suggested, and when I pulled a slice apart the cheese stretched like a foot long. My roommate got a video of it and it’s now our group chat meme. 10/10.
We don’t have any good pizza places within 20 minutes of my small town, so I’ve been testing homemade pizza recipes for months trying to find a good one. This is IT. No more driving 40 minutes round trip for decent pizza, I can make it right in my kitchen for a fraction of the price.
Gave this a shot last night and the flavor was amazing, but I cooked it a little too long and the edges got super charred. Oops. Still ate the whole thing though, even the burnt parts tasted good because the sauce and pepperoni were that flavorful. Will definitely set a timer next time.
Brought two of these in for the office team lunch today, and every single person asked for the recipe. I even had a couple people say they were gonna make it for their kid’s birthday parties this month. Total office hero move, thanks for the great recipe!
Okay I know this is classic pepperoni, but I drizzled a little hot honey on top after it came out of the oven and it was life changing. The sweet heat pairs so perfectly with the salty pepperoni and melty cheese. Don’t knock it till you try it!
Taught home ec for 30 years, and I always tell my former students that a good classic pizza recipe is a staple every home cook should have. This one is straightforward, uses easy to find ingredients, and turns out consistent every time. I already sent it to all my grandkids.
Made this at 1am after a night out with friends, and it hit DIFFERENT. Way better than the late night delivery pizza we usually order when we’re hungry after going out. We didn’t even wait for it to cool all the way, burned the roof of our mouths but it was worth it.
Wait I swapped the regular mozzarella for dairy free mozzarella for my lactose intolerant partner, and even I couldn’t tell the difference! The crust and sauce are so flavorful that the cheese swap didn’t even feel like a compromise. We finally have a pizza we can both enjoy without someone getting a stomach ache.
Made this for the football watch party last Sunday, and people were hovering around the kitchen waiting for it to come out of the oven. I made two pies, one classic pepperoni and one with added sausage, and both were gone by the end of the first quarter. Will be a mandatory game day food from now on.
This was the first thing I ever baked completely from scratch, and it actually turned out good! I was so nervous I was gonna mess the dough up, but the steps were really easy to follow. My roommates said they’d pay me to make this for them every week, lmao.