Pepperoni Pizza

By
Pete Scherer
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Pete Scherer
Pete Scherer is a longtime food writer, self-taught cook and baker, and recipe developer based in Los Angeles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/30/21
pepperoni pizza

The Spruce / Pete Scherer
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Total: 18 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Yield: 1 large pizza
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
624 Calories
30g Fat
61g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 624
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 1396mg 61%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 10mg 49%
Calcium 315mg 24%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 388mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Pepperoni is one of the most popular pizza toppings. Salty, fatty, and full-flavored, this thinly sliced American salami is typically used for pizza, but sandwiches and wraps are also delicious when stuffed with this tasty cured meat. Created by Italian immigrants in the United States, pepperoni is reminiscent of the salamis of southern Italy. Made from pork, beef, and sometimes turkey, it sports a deep red color, a little spice, and a slightly smoky flavor.

Our decadent pizza topped with pepperoni is really easy to put together. When using store-bought fresh pizza dough, the whole process is much easier, although making your own from scratch is always an option. Use the pizza sauce of your liking, but if you want an extra cheesy pie, double the amounts and personalize this flavorful and easy pizza.

Ingredients

  • Flour, for dusting

  • 1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough

  • 3/4 cup store-bought or homemade pizza sauce

  • 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, part-skim low moisture, shredded

  • 4 ounces pepperoni, thinly sliced

  • 1 small jalapeño pepper, sliced into rings

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • Fresh oregano, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat your oven to the maximum temperature it can reach, ideally between 500 to 550 F. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats.

  3. Generously flour your work surface and dough. Using your fingertips, press down on the dough to flatten it into a disc of roughly 8 inches in diameter.

  4. Grasp one side of the dough at the edge with both hands and lift it up, allowing gravity to stretch the dough down toward the countertop. Move your hands along the edges of the dough as you do this so that the dough stretches evenly into a large circle. If your fingers begin to stick, return the dough to the work surface for a light flouring before you continue stretching it.

  5. When the dough has been stretched into a circle approximately 16 inches in diameter, set it back on the work surface.

  6. Place the dough on a floured peel, if you have one. If not, prepare it for the oven on a baking sheet. Pour the sauce onto the dough and lightly spread it around with the bottom of a spoon or a rubber spatula until it evenly covers the surface, leaving bare a 1/2-inch border at the edge.

  7. Scatter the shredded cheese over the sauce, then top the cheese with the slices of pepperoni.

  8. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to the pizza stone, if using, or leave on the baking sheet and place it in the oven.

  9. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is a deep golden brown. Remove the pizza to a cutting board and top with the jalapeño, if using, and the grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh oregano. Slice and serve immediately.

  10. Enjoy.

For the Best Homemade Pizza

  • If using store-bought dough, it can be hard to remove it from the bag. Use scissors to cut away the plastic, which will make it easier for you to gently peel the dough away from the bag. Avoid ripping or excessively stretching the dough.
  • If you don't have a pizza peel, substitute with a flexible plastic cutting board or a sheet of parchment paper. But no matter what you're using to transfer the pizza to the baking surface, be sure to flour it well. Also, be mindful that excessive flour on the bottom of a pizza slice can be unpleasant, so don't use more flour than necessary.
  • A pizza stone is not the only thing that will yield a great crust. Anything dense and heavy will work, like a steel plate or a cast-iron pan.
  • Our recipe is not a Neapolitan-style recipe, so if you plan to bake our pizza as if it were Neapolitan (at 800 F or more), you'll have to drastically shorten the baking time.