Most people, if not all, love pizza! The flavors are just overwhelming, which makes it hard to refuse a slice. One classic favorite is the pepperoni pizza. The salty taste of pepperoni combines with the sweetness of cheese just blows all your taste buds away. Although pizza delivery is a fast option to indulge in this savory food, you can also opt to learn how to make pepperoni pizza.
Preparation
The good thing about home-made food is you know exactly what goes into your every bite. If you want more pepperoni, go loco. If you love cheese, top it with tons and tons of cheese! No limits! Additionally, if you want a healthier version, you can change some ingredients to make it light and healthier. Also, you’ll be surprised to learn that how to make pepperoni pizza is not as hard as you might have imagined.
The first step on how to make pepperoni pizza is to prepare all the needed ingredients. Basically, you will need your pizza dough, pizza sauce, cheese, and of course, pepperoni. So what is pepperoni? It is a combination of beef and pork cured and seasoned with chili powder and paprika. If you’ve heard of salami, pepperoni is its American version.
How to Make Home-made Dough
Pepperoni pizza is all about layering all ingredients together. You can purchase a pre-made pizza dough to shorten preparation time, or you can opt to make your own. Doing a home-made dough is quite easy. You can do it with just 6 simple ingredients. Here’s how to make it:
You’ll need:
- 3 and 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp. active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 and 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 F)
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine your warm water and yeast and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Once foamy, add salt, sugar, and oil. Mix well.
- Gradually add your flour until the dough forms a solid shape in the center. Add more flour if needed, or until the dough feels not too wet anymore.
- Oil another bowl and transfer your dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for about an hour. You can also store it in the fridge for 4-6 hours.
Making Pizza Sauce
Once the dough is ready, you can start how to make pepperoni pizza by combining and layering all ingredients together to make your very own pepperoni pizza. To prepare your pizza sauce, here’s what you need to do:
You’ll need:
- 1/2 tbsps. olive oil
- 1 can (398 ml) tomato sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 3-4 tbsps. sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
- Take your saucepan and heat the oil.
- Sauté your garlic and onion.
- Pour in your tomato sauce and bring to a boil and simmer for another 6 minutes.
- Add your dried basil, dried oregano, and sugar.
- To taste, add a bit of salt and pepper.
Making your Pepperoni Pizza
To make your home-made pepperoni pizza, follow the steps below:
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
- Divide your pizza dough into two parts. Roll and form each dough until you get a big circle. Use a round pizza pan to guide you with the right measurement.
- Place your pizza dough into the pan. Spread half of your sauce all over, leaving about ¼ inch borders on the edges.
- Sprinkle your mozzarella cheese and arrange your pepperoni slices on top.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes.
Note: This recipe allows you to make two pepperoni pizzas.
Other Considerations
Pizza toppings
Aside from pepperoni and cheese, you can also add more toppings to make your pizza extra special. The most common toppings for pepperoni are olives, bell peppers, and sausages. You can also add various types of cheese if you like. Chicken strips, bacon, pineapple, and leafy veggies like arugula also complement a pepperoni pizza.
Making pizza dough ahead of time
Since this recipe makes two standard pizzas, you can opt to store the other dough to be used next time. Just make sure to let the dough rise first before putting it in an airtight container. You can also freeze the pizza dough by forming it into a ball and placing it inside a zip lock bag before storing it. Freezing the dough will extend its life for up to 3 months. Know more about cooking pizza.
Conclusion
Pizza is an all-time favorite, and we can’t agree more. How to make pepperoni pizza is a great way to give your own twist to this classic. Doing a home-made version allows you to indulge more in ingredients that you like. You can also adjust the taste to your liking.