Pepperoni Pizza

Make your pizza night a true feast by pairing with breadsticks or Cheesy Breadsticks, and a green salad with ranch dressing.

Why I love this recipe:

Inexpensive: Our Homemade Pizza Dough is the key and so EASY and cheap to make (I bet you already have the ingredients you need!). I like to take 10 minutes to make it in the morning so it’s ready to use for pizza night. Adaptable cooking methods: You can cook our homemade pepperoni pizza in the oven, pizza oven, air fryer or on the grill. Follow my tips for your preferred method. Party favorite: We love to involve our kids or friends and let everyone build their own pizza for pizza night.

How to make Pepperoni Pizza:

Make Pizza Dough (see notes for store-bought suggestions): Combine ½ cup of warm water with the sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. It should foam on the top. Add the remaining 1 cup of warm water, olive oil, salt and vinegar. Begin mixing on medium-low speed, gradually adding the flour a cup at a time, and knead the dough for about 7 minutes, or until it’s smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with a dry towel or greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has about doubled in volume. Roll Out: Gently punch the dough down and place on a lightly greased or floured counter top. Divide dough into 2 or 3 equal pieces (makes about two 14” or three 9” pizzas). Roll and stretch the dough to desired size and thickness. Brush dough with olive oil. Assemble: Layer pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on the pizza crust.

Cook Pepperoni Pizzas:

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 450°F (with a pizza stone inside, if you have one). If using a pizza stone, add cornmeal and flour to a pizza peel or parchment paper and place pizza dough on top (otherwise press the dough into a pizza pan). Prick the top of the dough a few times with a fork and pre-bake the dough in the pizza pan, or slide onto a hot pizza stone to pre-bake for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and add pizza sauce and toppings. Return to oven and bake for 5-12 more minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Pizza Oven Method*: Add cornmeal and flour to a pizza peel and place rolled out dough on top. Add toppings. Slide into preheated pizza oven and cook according to pizza oven instructions. Grill Method: Preheat grill to medium-high. Roll out dough and place on a piece of parchment paper. Spread with oil, then gently flip the pizza onto the grill, oil side down, and peel the parchment paper off. Cover grill lid and cook for 2-3 or until grill marks form on bottom. Flip the pizzas onto a plate and add sauce and pepperoni pizza toppings to cooked side. Reduce heat and slide pizzas back on grill to cook another 3-5 minutes

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: To make the pizza dough ahead, make the dough up until the first rise, spray with oil, cover with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours, until ready to assemble pizza. For take and bake pizza, roll out the dough and pre-bake it in the oven for 5 minutes. Top with desired pizza toppings, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, until ready to finish cooking pizza in oven, pizza oven or on the grill. To Freeze: To freeze pizza dough, form a ball with the dough, spray with oil and freeze in an air-tight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw dough in the refrigerator before using. To freeze take-and-bake pizzas, pre-bake the pizza crust for 5 minutes, add toppings, cover pizza with plastic wrap and foil and store in freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw before baking, for best results.

Variations:

Additional Pepperoni Pizza Topping Ideas: hot honey (highly recommend!), fresh basil, crushed red pepper flakes, jalapeño slices. Add Veggies: olives, bell peppers, yellow peppers, onion, arugula, fresh basil, jalapeño slices. Add Meat: Sausage, Chicken, Bacon. Wheat Pizza Dough