pepperoni pizza

⬆️ Watch the video here ⬆️

dough: (yields 2 large pizzas)

• 300g all-purpose flour

• 300g bread flour

• 375ml lukewarm water

• 2g yeast

• 2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• semolina flour (optional)

sauce:

• 1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes (drained)

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp salt

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp basil

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

toppings:

• pepperoni

• mozzarella cheese

Garnish:

• Red pepper flakes

• Parmesan cheese

Substitutions:

• For this recipe I used a baking steel, which I preheated in the oven. If you do not have a baking steel, a pizza stone works just fine. If you do not have either of those, you can invert a 12 inch cast iron pan and use the bottom to cook the pizza on. I made this recipe by hand, but you can use a stand mixer if you prefer.

• I really like San Marzano tomatoes for the sauce, if you can’t find them (or don’t like them) you can use any type of canned whole tomatoes. Just be sure to drain the liquid the tomatoes are stored in to prevent the sauce from being bitter. Also, I kept things simple in terms of ingredients. You absolutely do not have to do that, you can top it however you would like. This recipe pairs well with any toppings. I used dried spices for this recipe for simplicity, but it taste even better if you use fresh herbs. It may seem tempting to use mozzarella cheese that is already grated, but I advise against this. It doesn’t melt the same secondary to the anti-caking agent that they use.

Preparation:

• In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Whisk to combine.

• Next add the olive oil, along with water. Mix to combine.

• Knead the dough until the mixture becomes smooth. If kneading by hand, push the dough away from you with your palm, then roll the dough back over on itself. Rotate and repeat.

• Once the dough is smooth, cover and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

• Punch the dough down and then divide into two separate balls. Stretch each ball, then fold, then stretch. The dough will become harder to stretch, once it does, you’ve stretched it enough. Using the palms of your hands, rotate the dough on a clean work surface, forming a tight ball. Lightly brush two bowls with a little olive oil (to prevent the dough from sticking), place the balls into their separate bowls, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. I usually make the dough the day before and then use it on day 2 and day 3. Yes. You can use the dough sooner than that if you’re in a hurry. It just won’t have the same level of flavor if you do. However, it will still be better than the stuff you get from chain pizza restaurants. When you’re ready to make the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour.

• Prepare the sauce by crushing the tomatoes. I used my hands to ensure the sauce wouldn’t be too thin, but if that weirds you out, you can use a food processor.

• Next mince 4 cloves of garlic. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat and then sauté the garlic until lightly brown and fragrant.

• Add the crushed tomatoes, along with all of the other ingredients listed for the sauce. Cook for 20-30 minutes on medium low. Set aside and allow to cool.

• Place the baking steel, pizza stone, or cast iron skillet into a cold oven and then preheat to 500° (on the bake setting). Once the oven reaches temperature, I usually allow the baking steel to sit at 500° for at least 20 minutes before I cook the pizza. This helps to generate a nice crust.

• Dust your work station with flour, place the dough onto the work station, then dust the top with flour.

• Flatten the dough using your palms into a circle. Once it’s around 1/2 inch thick, pick the dough up and stretch it to your desired thickness using your knuckles by pulling, then rotating, pulling, then rotating. If that seems too complicated, you can absolutely use a rolling pin and roll the dough into a circle. I’ve been making pizza for a while now and I’ve had some pretty catastrophic shapes along the way. From that I’ve learned that it doesn’t really matter if it’s a circle or not, it still taste great regardless.

• I used a pizza stone for prepping the pizza before putting it into the oven. If you don’t have an extra stone, a baking sheet works just fine. I dusted mine with semolina flour because I like the gritty texture that it creates on the crust. You can lightly dust with flour if you’d prefer. Whatever you use, just be sure that the dough slides easily on your prep surface and isn’t sticking anywhere.

• DO NOT PUT THE SAUCE ON IF IT’S STILL WARM. This will make it very difficult to get the pizza into the oven. Once the sauce is cool, apply a few spoonfuls atop your pizza. Top with whatever ingredients you’d like.

• Getting a large pizza into a very hot oven by hand can be very difficult and dangerous if you’re not super careful. I have a pizza peel that I use to transfer the pizza from the prep surface into the oven. I highly recommend using one of these for the best results.

• Place the pizza into the oven atop the steel, stone, or cast iron and cook for about 10-11 minutes.

• Once done, garnish with parmesan and red pepper flakes.

• Enjoy.