Description
This is a classic, bubbly pepperoni pizza with a crisp-edged crust, tangy tomato base, and those salty little cups of pepperoni on top. A hot preheated surface (stone/steel or an upside-down sheet pan) helps you get strong bottom browning in a home oven.
Ingredients
🥖 Dough & base
- 8 oz / 225 g – pizza dough (room temperature, use our recipe!)
🍅 Sauce
- 0.5 cup / 120 ml – crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp / 10 ml – olive oil
- 0.5 tsp / 1 g – dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp / 1 g – garlic powder
🧀 Cheese & topping
- 4 oz / 115 g – mozzarella, shredded (or your favorite cheese, I won’t tell anyone!)
- 1 oz / 28 g – grated Parmesan (optional but nice)
- 1.5 oz / 43 g – pepperoni slices
Instructions
Heat & prep
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Put a pizza stone / baking steel on the middle rack (or place a rimmed sheet pan upside-down on the middle rack). Preheat the oven to 500°F / 260°C for 45–60 minutes so the surface gets truly hot.
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In a bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and garlic powder. Keep it simple; pepperoni and cheese bring plenty of seasoning.
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Shred the mozzarella if needed. If it seems very wet, loosely pile it on a plate for a few minutes so it can air-dry a bit.
Shape & top
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Lightly flour your hands and counter. Gently press the dough into a disk, then stretch it into a 12-inch / 30 cm round, leaving a slightly thicker rim.
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Set the dough on a piece of parchment (optional for easy launching) on a peel or flat sheet pan.
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Spoon the sauce on and spread it thinly, leaving a 3/4-inch / 2 cm border.
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Add the mozzarella evenly, then the Parmesan (if using).
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Scatter the pepperoni across the top (overlap slightly for a fuller pepperoni bite).
Bake & finish
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Slide the pizza onto the hot stone/steel (parchment and all, if using). Bake 8–12 minutes at 500°F / 260°C.
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Success looks like: deeply golden spots on the crust edge, bubbling cheese with light brown freckles, and pepperoni edges that are crisp and slightly cupped. If the top needs more color but the bottom is already browned, switch to broil for 30–60 seconds, watching nonstop.
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Cool 2 minutes, slice, and serve while the cheese is still stretchy but the slices hold together.
Notes
- Do a quick “jiggle test” on your peel before launching—if the pizza doesn’t slide, lift an edge and toss a pinch of flour/semolina underneath.
- If using parchment at high heat, trim it close to the dough so the edges don’t scorch and smoke; you can tug it out once the crust sets.
- Rotate the pizza once halfway through if your oven has hot spots—those freckles will even out fast.
- Brush the exposed crust edge with a whisper of olive oil right before baking for a shinier, crispier rim.
- Want extra savory crunch? Sprinkle a light ring of finely grated hard cheese right at the edge where crust meets sauce.
- Blot pepperoni briefly with paper towel if you want less grease pooling on top (especially with thicker stacks).
- Finish with a tiny pinch of dried oregano or chili flakes after baking for that “pizzeria aroma” pop.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Rise & Rest: 1h 20 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Pizza
- Cuisine: Italian