It’s a fine line between too thin (where the pepperoni will start to sink into the melted cheese) and too thick (where you won’t achieve that signature curl at the edges). Hardcore enthusiasts recommend a 3 mm thickness to achieve the perfect crispness and curl. In our experience, a guestimate works just as well and an extra millimetre here or there won’t make a huge difference, so no need to whip out the ruler for this recipe.
Other than thinly sliced pepperoni (see above), the oven temperature is key to achieving that signature crunch for this topping. This recipe recommends a preheated oven of 275 °C and a 10-minute bake for the perfect pizza, every time.
When baked at a high temperature, the top of the pepperoni slice will cook faster than the bottom. The heat difference from this uneven cooking causes the top to shrink and edges to pull up. The result? A distinctly curled topping that this pizza is known and loved for.
The classic pepperoni pizza dates back to the 1950s when gas pizza ovens became commercially available, and the American fast-food culture started to gain increasing momentum. Invented by Italian immigrants from New York, it didn’t take long for the pepperoni pizza to make it onto more and more restaurant menus. With its popularity came pepperoni variations to accommodate different palates and dietary requirements.
Less than 30 minutes is all you need to prep, bake, and serve this pizza. Make sure that you have extra dough in the freezer (our recipe can be frozen for up to three months) and thaw at room temperature or in a cold water bath (keep the dough in its storage bag, making sure that there are no holes and that it’s properly sealed, and submerge in a bowl of cold water). Keep in mind that the thawing process will add between one and three hours to your prep time, but most convenience stores have ready-made pizza dough available if you’re pressed for time.
As with most things, homemade is almost always better. You are in complete control of the entire process, from the freshness and quality of the ingredients to the amount of sauce and thickness of the pepperoni slices. You can also make sure that the dish fully complies with any special dietary requirements.
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