Description
A classic homemade Pepperoni Pizza recipe featuring a deliciously chewy crust made from scratch, topped with rich pizza sauce, plenty of pepperoni slices, melty mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of Parmesan and Italian seasoning. This recipe offers flexible cooking methods including oven baking, pizza stone, pizza oven, or grilling, making it perfect for any kitchen setup.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (divided)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 3 3/4 - 4 cups bread flour (all-purpose flour can be used)
For the Toppings
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups pepperoni slices
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Olive oil (for brushing dough)
- Cornmeal and flour (for dusting, optional)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup warm water with the sugar and active dry yeast. Stir gently to dissolve and let rest for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Make Dough: Add the remaining 1 cup warm water, olive oil, salt, and white vinegar to the yeast mixture. Begin mixing on medium-low speed while gradually adding the bread flour, about one cup at a time. Knead the dough for about 7 minutes until smooth and elastic but slightly sticky to the touch.
- Allow Dough to Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with a dry towel or greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in volume.
- Prepare Dough for Pizzas: Punch down the risen dough gently and place it on a lightly floured or greased surface. Divide into 2 or 3 equal pieces depending on desired pizza size (makes two 14-inch or three 9-inch pizzas). Roll or stretch the dough to your preferred thickness and size, and brush lightly with olive oil.
- Preheat Cooking Surface: For oven baking, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). If using a pizza stone, place it inside the oven while preheating. For grilling, preheat grill to medium-high heat. For pizza oven, follow its preheating instructions accordingly.
- Pre-Bake Dough (Oven Method): If using a pizza stone, dust a pizza peel or parchment paper with cornmeal and flour, place the dough on top, and prick the surface with a fork. Slide pizza onto the hot pizza stone or place dough in a greased pizza pan to pre-bake for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Add Toppings: Spread pizza sauce evenly across the pre-baked crust, then layer with shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, grated Parmesan, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Bake Pizza (Oven Method): Return the pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 5-12 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and melted.
- Pizza Oven Method: Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and flour, place prepared dough on it, add toppings, then slide the pizza into the preheated pizza oven. Cook following manufacturer instructions until done.
- Grill Method: Roll out dough and place on parchment paper. Brush with olive oil, then carefully flip the dough onto the grill, oil side down, peeling off the parchment paper. Cover grill and cook for 2-3 minutes until grill marks form. Remove pizza from grill, flip onto a plate with cooked side up, add sauce and toppings, then reduce heat and return pizzas to grill for another 3-5 minutes to melt cheese and finish cooking.
Notes
- Warm water should be around 110°F (43°C) to properly activate yeast without killing it.
- You can substitute all-purpose flour if bread flour is unavailable, but the crust may be less chewy.
- Use a pizza stone for a crisper crust if baking in the oven.
- Pizza sizes can be adjusted by dividing the dough differently.
- Letting the dough rest longer in the fridge (cold fermentation) can improve flavor but is optional.
- Brush dough with olive oil before baking to prevent sogginess and enhance crust browning.
- For grilling, use indirect heat after flipping toppings on to avoid burning the toppings.
