Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (With Fresh Dough!)

Cheesy, gooey homemade pepperoni pizza with a golden crispy crust that is always welcome around the table! This recipe is SO popular with both kids and adults and can be customized in so many different ways. Everyone will be coming back for a second slice of this chewy, delicious homemade pepperoni pizza recipe and will enjoy to the last bite!

 

Why We Love Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

• Delicious Dinner– It’s hard to say no to a slice of homemade pizza. Packed with cheese, gooey and warm from the oven, this is a dinner everyone will cheer for.
• Family Favorite – Making homemade pizza is one of those memories that just lasts with you. Everyone crowded around the table or the kitchen, laughing and enjoying a slice.
• Fun! – It’s just fun to make your own pizza. Turn on some music and enjoy the process, you can even try spinning the dough on your hands.

Ingredients For Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

• Homemade pizza dough – Homemade pizza dough does take a little time to make, you can use dough from the grocery store.
• pizza sauce
• mozzarella cheese shredded
• pepperoni slices
• cornmeal optional
• flour for dusting when stretching dough

How To Make Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Use the instructions of how to make homemade pizza dough or use store-bought dough.

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking sheet or add a handful of cornmeal to the pan per the instructions for the pizza dough. If the dough was in the refrigerator set it on the counter or in a warm place before stretching it so it comes to room temperature.
2. Gently stretch and knead the dough on a clean and dry floured surface. Add a sprinkle of flour as you stretch the dough if the dough becomes sticky. Add flour to the rolling pin and roll the pizza dough until it is twelve inches across.

3. Transfer the dough to the baking pan, round pizza pan or use a pizza peel to transfer it to a hot pizza stone in the oven. (If you have a pizza stone and have never used it, follow these directions to use a pizza stone and pizza peel.)

4. Add tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni.

5. Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes. The crust will be fluffy on the inside but golden brown on the outside when it has finished cooking. Remove from oven, slice and enjoy! Top with parmesan cheese or even red pepper flakes to give it a spicy kick!

Variations And Ideas

There are so many ways you can vary a classic pizza! Here are a few of my favorites and you can totally mix and match. Add one or two of these classic toppings, or a bunch!

Please note that any meat must be cooked before adding it to the pizza. Meats like salami and pepperoni and ham have been preserved and are already cooked, but other meats may need to be cooked if raw.

Pizza Topping Ideas

• Sausage- Cooked
• Ham – Needs to be precooked if it isn’t already cooked.
• Bacon – Cooked
• Chicken – Cooked
• Salami – is usually already cooked and preserved.
• Bell peppers
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Black olives
• Mushrooms
• Pineapple
• Sliced tomatoes
• Artichokes
• Italian seasoning (try 1/2 a teaspoon sprinkled across the pizza)
• Fresh oregano (sprinkle after cooking the pizza)
• Fresh parsley (sprinkle after cooking the pizza)

Pizza Sauce Ideas

• Olive oil and herb sauce
• Pesto
• BBQ sauce
• Alfredo sauce
• Hot wing sauce

Cheese Ideas

• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Provolone
• Romano
• Monterey jack
• Munster
• Havarti
• Cheddar
• Goat Cheese

You can also mix things up with my pepperoni dip, pepperoni rolls, or stuffed pizza chicken. All of these recipes have great pepperoni pizza taste!

Why Is There So Much Cornmeal Added To The Pan?

I’ve had a few people tell me I use too much cornmeal for the pan. There will be some excess on the pan afterward. The cornmeal not only coats the bottom of the pizza for a delicious crust, but also the excess cornmeal helps keep the dough from sticking to the pan.

When making at home I honestly just throw a handful of cornmeal onto the pan and it works every time, but when I measured what I usually add it was about 1/4 cup.