Classic Pepperoni Pizza With Crispy Cups

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 1 large 14-inch pizza, 4 servings
• Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes, including a 75-minute dough rise
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• Dough: 300g bread flour, 195g warm water, 3g instant yeast, 6g fine sea salt, 6g sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• Sauce: 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 grated garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon sugar, pinch red pepper flakes
• Toppings: 6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, 3 ounces cupping pepperoni, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, 1 teaspoon olive oil for the crust
• For shaping: 1 tablespoon bread flour plus 1 tablespoon semolina flour or fine cornmeal

Do This

• 1. Mix the dough ingredients, knead for 6 minutes, then let rise in an oiled bowl for 75 minutes.
• 2. Place a pizza stone or steel on the upper-middle rack and preheat the oven to 500°F for 45 minutes.
• 3. Stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
• 4. Stretch the dough into a 14-inch round on a floured surface, then move it to a semolina-dusted peel or inverted baking sheet.
• 5. Top with 1/2 cup sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, and an even layer of cupping pepperoni.
• 6. Bake at 500°F for 10 minutes, rotating once after 5 minutes, until the crust is browned and the pepperoni has curled and crisped.
• 7. Rest for 3 minutes, slice into 8 pieces, and serve hot.

---

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic pizzeria flavor at home: Tangy tomato sauce, stretchy low-moisture mozzarella, and spicy pepperoni hit all the right nostalgic notes.
• Crispy cupping pepperoni: The pepperoni curls in the heat, forming little crisp-edged cups with savory drippings in the center.
• Home-oven friendly: A very hot oven and a preheated stone or steel help you get a browned, chewy crust without specialty equipment.
• Balanced, not soggy: A measured amount of sauce and cheese keeps the center tender while the crust stays sturdy.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 small garlic clove
• Dairy: 6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, 1 small wedge Parmesan or pre-grated Parmesan
• Deli or Meat: 3 ounces thin-sliced cupping pepperoni
• Pantry: Bread flour, instant yeast, fine sea salt, granulated sugar, extra-virgin olive oil, canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, semolina flour or fine cornmeal

Full Ingredients

For the Pizza Dough

• 300g bread flour, about 2 1/2 cups, plus 1 tablespoon for shaping
• 195g warm water, 105°F to 110°F, about 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
• 3g instant yeast, about 1 teaspoon
• 6g fine sea salt, about 1 teaspoon
• 6g granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for oiling the bowl

For the Tangy Tomato Sauce

• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes, preferably no-salt-added
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced into a paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

For the Toppings

• 6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded from a block
• 3 ounces thin-sliced cupping pepperoni, about 40 to 50 small slices
• 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the crust edge
• 1 tablespoon semolina flour or fine cornmeal, for launching the pizza

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine 300g bread flour, 3g instant yeast, 6g fine sea salt, and 6g sugar. Stir with a spoon or your hand to evenly distribute the yeast and salt. Pour in 195g warm water and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Mix until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute.

If the dough feels very dry after mixing, wet your hand and knead the moisture into the dough rather than pouring in extra water. Pizza dough should feel slightly tacky, but it should not be soupy or sticky like batter.

Step 2: Knead and let the dough rise

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 6 minutes, pressing it forward with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and turning it a quarter turn as you go. The dough should become smoother, more elastic, and a little springy.

Lightly coat a clean bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turn it once to coat, and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean lid. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 75 minutes, until puffy and roughly doubled in size. A warm room around 72°F to 78°F is ideal.

Step 3: Preheat the oven and baking surface

Place a pizza stone or pizza steel on the upper-middle oven rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F for 45 minutes before baking. This long preheat is important: the stone or steel needs time to fully absorb heat so the bottom crust can brown quickly.

If you do not have a stone or steel, place a heavy rimmed baking sheet upside down on the upper-middle rack and preheat it the same way. You can also bake the pizza on a parchment-lined sheet pan, though the crust will be a little softer.

Step 4: Make the tomato sauce

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon olive oil, the grated garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let the sauce sit for at least 10 minutes while the dough finishes rising.

This is a no-cook sauce, which keeps the tomato flavor bright and tangy. The tomato paste adds body so the sauce spreads easily without making the pizza wet.

Step 5: Shape the pizza dough

Lightly flour your counter with about 1 tablespoon bread flour. Turn the risen dough out onto the counter and gently press it into a thick disk. Starting in the center, use your fingertips to press the dough outward, leaving a 1/2-inch rim around the edge for the crust.

Lift the dough and stretch it over the backs of your hands, rotating as you go, until it forms a 14-inch round. If it resists stretching or springs back tightly, set it down and let it rest for 5 minutes, then continue. Do not use a rolling pin if you can avoid it; hand-stretching helps keep the rim airy and chewy.

Step 6: Top the pizza

Dust a pizza peel or the back of an inverted baking sheet with 1 tablespoon semolina flour or fine cornmeal. Transfer the stretched dough onto it and gently reshape it into a 14-inch round. Give the peel a small shake to make sure the dough moves freely; if any spot sticks, lift that area and dust with a little more semolina.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the dough, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. You may have 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce left over; do not overload the pizza. Scatter the shredded low-moisture mozzarella evenly over the sauce, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Arrange the pepperoni slices in a generous layer across the top, slightly overlapping in places but leaving a few small gaps so steam can escape. Brush the exposed crust edge with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Step 7: Bake until crisp, browned, and bubbling

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone, steel, or inverted baking sheet. Bake at 500°F for 10 minutes total, rotating the pizza 180 degrees after 5 minutes for even browning. The pizza is done when the crust is golden brown with darker spots, the cheese is melted and lightly browned in places, and the pepperoni has curled into small cups with crisp edges.

If your oven runs cool and the crust still looks pale at 10 minutes, bake for 1 additional minute. Watch closely during the final minute because pepperoni can go from crisp to overly dark quickly.

Step 8: Rest, slice, and serve

Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let it rest for 3 minutes. This short rest helps the cheese settle so the slices come out cleaner. Slice into 8 wedges and serve hot, while the crust is crisp and the pepperoni cups are still warm.

Pro Tips

• Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella releases too much water for this classic pepperoni style. A block of low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella melts beautifully and keeps the pizza from turning soggy.
• Look for cupping pepperoni: Smaller, natural-casing pepperoni slices curl best. If the package says “cup and char” or “natural casing,” that is what you want.
• Do not oversauce: For one 14-inch pizza, 1/2 cup sauce is enough. A thin, even layer gives you tangy tomato flavor without weighing down the crust.
• Preheat longer than you think: A 45-minute preheat at 500°F makes a big difference for browning the bottom crust in a home oven.
• Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking starches that can melt less smoothly. A block of mozzarella gives better stretch and texture.

Variations

• Hot honey pepperoni pizza: After baking, drizzle the finished pizza with 1 tablespoon warm honey mixed with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• Extra-crispy pepperoni pizza: Place half the pepperoni under the cheese and half on top. The top layer crisps while the lower layer seasons the sauce and cheese.
• Garlic-herb crust: Mix 1 tablespoon melted butter with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, then brush it over the crust immediately after baking.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store leftover pizza slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best texture, reheat slices in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, then cover the skillet for 1 minute to warm the cheese. You can also reheat on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 6 minutes.

To make the dough ahead, mix and knead it as directed, then place it in an oiled airtight container and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours instead of doing the room-temperature rise. About 2 hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before shaping. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 kcal | Carbs: 61g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Sodium: 1320mg | Cholesterol: 54mg