Artisan Pepperoni Pizza

Jim and I absolutely love making pizza at home, and we are always looking to up our pizza night game. This recipe is one of our absolute favorites, starting with cold fermentation artisan pizza dough, topped with my homemade marinara, thinly sliced pepperoni, freshly shredded mozzarella, and fresh veggies. Skip the takeout and see how delicious and fun making your own homemade pizza can be!

In preparation for an artisan pizza class I taught at the cooking school a few years ago, I tested tons of dough recipes, looking for one that would rival pizzeria carryout, no easy task. I needed it to be thin with a golden, crispy crust, a delicious well-developed flavor, and the 'pièce de résistance', foldability. After a lot of trial and error, this artisan pizza dough was my hands-down winner. Each recipe yields 4 rounds of pizza dough, so we keep extra in the freezer and just allow the dough to thaw several hours ahead or in the refrigerator overnight.

In addition to having dough on hand so you're always ready for pizza night, a few basic kitchen tools will make a really big difference:

Kitchen Aid Mixer

If you don't already have a KitchenAid (or similar) stand mixer with various attachments, including the dough hook, it'll definitely be your best friend in the kitchen. You can always mix dough by hand, but I wouldn't recommend it for making pizza dough. Also, don't try and use a hand mixer!

Baking Steel

A baking steel, such as this one from Brod & Taylor can help transform your home oven into an artisan oven (or as close as possible!). While home ovens aren't equipped to reach the extreme temperatures professional ovens are capable of, using a baking steel can simulate baking on the bottom of a brick-oven by conducting and retaining heat, which is also why pizzas cook so much faster at a pizzeria.

Like a good cast iron pan, the more you use your baking steel and keep it seasoned, the better results you'll have. The one on the left is brand new, as compared to the one on the right, which we've used many times for not only pizza, but also baking bread. Don't be alarmed if it's not as pretty as it once was- you want your baking steel to look well loved!

Pizza Peels

There are multiple types of pizza peels available out there, but here are a few of our favorites and why we love them!

Wooden Bamboo Pizza Peel: This one is pretty enough you could hang it on the wall as kitchen decor or use as a serving tray! It's one solid piece, easy to hold, and the angled base makes it easier to both slide the uncooked pizza into the oven, rotate the pizza during baking if needed, or to remove the pizza once it's fully baked.

Stainless Steel Pizza Paddle: During the warmer months, we love baking pizza in the Big Green Egg in our outdoor kitchen, but we certainly use it in our regular kitchen, too. The long handle is a great safety feature as you are working with extremely hot temperatures, being able to distance yourself a little more from the heat source as you place the pizza onto the grill. The stainless-steel surface works really well transferring the uncooked pizza, so long as you use cornmeal or high-temperature parchment underneath the dough. It's also super easy to clean.

Sliding Pizza Peel: This kitchen tool is super cool! You can literally glide the uncooked pizza directly onto the hot baking steel or stone by sliding the built-in handle, like a mini conveyer belt. The unique material is non-stick, so not only does it make getting the pizza into the oven easier, it's also a breeze to clean. While I still recommend dusting the surface with cornmeal, you won't need to with this type of peel.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Yields 1-12" Pizza

• ¼ Recipe Artisan Pizza Dough or your favorite pizza dough
• ½ C. Marinara Sauce Recipe see notes (or your favorite jarred pizza sauce)
• 1-½ C. Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Low Moisture, Freshly Grated
• 15 Pieces Thinly Sliced Pepperoni or however many you prefer
• Sliced Fresh Veggies of your Choice bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.
• 1 tsp. Pizza Seasoning or Italian Seasoning
• Miscellaneous Ingredients
  • All Purpose Flour for dusting (not included in the recipe)
  • Cornmeal for dusting the pizza peel before baking

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: About an hour or so before you plan to bake your pizza, preheat the oven as high as it will go, 500-550℉. Place a baking steel (or high temperature baking stone, such as this one) onto a rack in the middle of the oven. This process will ensure that your baking surface will (as closely as it can) replicate a brick-oven.

Step 2: Generously sprinkle your pizza peel with cornmeal. The cornmeal will keep the dough from sticking to the board and make it easier to slide the pizza directly into your oven.

Step 3: Gather all of your ingredients, including one prepared round of dough from my cold-fermented artisan pizza dough recipe and marinara sauce, along with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.

Note: The recipe and amounts as provided will make 1-12" pizza. The pizza dough recipe itself yields 4 rounds of dough, so double the ingredients if making 2 pizzas.

Step 4: Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Work the pizza dough into a circle, pressing out from the center. Press out any large air bubbles.

Step 5: Next, stretch the dough using your hands. You can do this in one of two ways:

1) Pull and elongate the dough as one hand holds the top of the dough securely as you stretch the bottom section, and rotate as you go, moving a few inches around the dough until it has relaxed.

2) Place the dough beneath your knuckles, covering your hands, and stretch out from the center, rotating around the full circumference of the dough as you pull.

Step 6: Once your dough has stretched some, place it back down onto your work surface and use a wooden rolling pin to roll out the dough to approximately 12" (the length of a standard ruler). The dough should be thin, but not transparent.

Step 7: Move your dough onto the pizza peel and assemble. You don't want to try and assemble your pizza first and then try to move it onto the peel later. Add cheese, sauce, seasonings and lastly, toppings. Make sure to leave a minimum of a 1" border around the outside of the pizza so that you have a proper outer crust.

Step 8: Slide your prepared pizza directly onto your baking steel (or stone) in the preheated oven. The pizza should cook quickly, typically not longer than 10 minutes. Be sure to (carefully) take a peek underneath the crust to make sure that you have a nice, crisp, golden-brown color (even if the toppings look done and the cheese has melted, the crust may need a few extra minutes). Feel free to turn off the oven, as the residual heat from the steel pan will continue to bake the crust. As English chef Mary Berry would say, "nobody likes a soggy bottom."

Step 9: Use your pizza peel to carefully remove your baked and ready pizza from the oven, allow to cool before slicing.

Cleaning and Seasoning Your Baking Steel: While your baking steel is still fairly hot, grab a pair of oven mitts and remove the steel from the oven, moving it to the sink. Gently (and carefully) brush off any excess cornmeal and scrape off any melted toppings that may have fallen or leaked onto the hot surface using a rubber spatula (metal may damage the finish). It'll be a lot easier to work with while still hot. Rinse with water but try to avoid using soap (a little bit is okay, though, if needed.) For any stubborn bits, make a light paste of baking soda and water, rub into the spot, and allow to cool. Rinse off later, after the paste has had a chance to sit and work its magic. Wipe the entire surface of the steel with olive oil, and place back into a warm oven for about an hour, or at least while the oven cools down. Store until ready for next use.

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