Homemade pepperoni pizza is one of my family’s favorite easy dinners. This recipe starts with homemade dough and pizza sauce piled with crispy pepperoni and melting cheese for a hot, fresh pizza with a crispy, golden brown crust.
People of all ages love making (and eating!) this pizza, and it only takes about 30 minutes to shape, top, and bake the dough. When that bubbly, cheesy pizza comes out of the oven, you may never order pizza delivery again!
Why You’ll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Recipe
It’s made with simple, good ingredients. Homemade pizza dough and sauce, quality pepperoni, and plenty of melty cheese are all you need for a pizza that tastes fresh from the pizzeria.
It’s faster than delivery. From shaping the dough to pulling a hot, bubbly pizza from the oven, you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.
Garlic butter makes the crust extra delicious. Brushing the hot crust with garlic butter right out of the oven adds a little extra flavor and makes those crispy edges even harder to resist.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple homemade pizza:
Pizza dough: New York Style Pizza Dough is a great choice for a classic thin, foldable crust, while long-rising Poolish Pizza Dough gives the crust extra flavor and chew. For something a little different try my rustic Spelt Flour Pizza Dough, which is what I used for this photo. All three make really tasty homemade pizza, but if you’re short on time, store-bought pizza dough works well, too.
Pizza sauce: My simple pizza sauce recipe uses canned San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, and a few simple ingredients, and you can make it in about five minutes. You can also use your favorite jarred pizza sauce.
Sliced pepperoni: For the best flavor, look for quality pepperoni in the refrigerated section of the grocery store or the deli counter. Good sliced pepperoni has better flavor and texture, and it will crisp up beautifully around the edges as the pizza bakes.
Shredded cheese: I used shredded low-moisture mozzarella for this pizza, but feel free to use your favorite melty pizza cheese or combination of cheeses. Sometimes I add grated Parmesan cheese to the mix, too.
Equipment Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade pizza dough recipe:
- Pizza Pan – A round metal pan makes it easy to shape and bake the pizza, but you can use a pizza stone or baking sheet if you prefer.
- Garlic press and a pastry brush – if you’re making the optional garlic butter.
- Pizza Cutter or a Sharp Knife
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
STEP 2: Prepare the pizza pan. Grease a 12-inch round pizza pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Place the pizza dough in the center and gently press and stretch it into a 12-inch circle, working it slightly up the sides of the pan.
STEP 3: Prebake the crust. Bake the dough for 4 minutes. Remove it from the oven and use a fork to gently poke any large air bubbles that have formed in the crust.
STEP 4: Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the prebaked crust, leaving a small border around the edge.
STEP 5: Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the sauce.
STEP 6: While the crust is prebaking, arrange the pepperoni slices in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Carefully remove the plate and use additional paper towels to blot away excess grease.
PRO TIP: Removing excess fat from the pepperoni slices makes the best pizza that’s not greasy!
STEP 7: Arrange the pepperoni slices over the cheese.
STEP 8: Then, sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
Pro cooking tip: Arranging the pepperoni between two layers of cheese makes the cheese melty on the bottom and lightly browned on top, and keeps the pepperoni from overcooking.
STEP 9: Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned in spots.
Optional: Garlic Butter for Pizza Crust
For an extra-flavorful finishing touch, make garlic butter by stirring together 1 tablespoon melted butter with 1 clove of minced fresh garlic.
Brush the edges of the hot crust with garlic butter as soon as the pizza comes out of the oven. (Your kitchen will smell SO good!)
Let the pizza rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
You are going to LOVE this pizza!
Recipe Variations
You can add additional toppings or veggies to this recipe. Bell peppers, sausage, mushrooms, and caramelized onions all pair well with the savory flavor of pepperoni. (For more ideas, check out this huge list of 75+ best pizza toppings!)
Sprinkle with oregano, Italian seasoning, or red pepper flakes before or after baking.
Serve pizza with hot honey on the side for drizzling.
How to Store Leftover Pizza
Refrigerating: Cool the pizza to room temperature and store the slices in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezing: To freeze leftover baked pizza, wrap individual slices tightly and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw frozen pizza in the refrigerator before reheating. For the best texture, I recommend enjoying frozen cooked pizza within a month.
Reheating: My favorite easy method for reheating leftover pizza is in a skillet. Place the pizza slices in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cover the skillet and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is crisp and the cheese is hot and melty.
You can also reheat pizza in an oven, toaster oven or air fryer at 350 degrees F until hot and crispy. (The microwave tends to make the crust tough, so I don’t recommend it for reheating pizza.)
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Here’s the full, printable recipe:
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Equipment
- pizza pan
- Pizza Cutter
- Garlic press
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 4 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
(Optional) Garlic Butter for Crust
- 1 tablespoon melted salted butter
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Grease a 12-inch round pizza pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Place the pizza dough in the center and gently press and stretch it into a 12-inch circle, working it slightly up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the dough for 4 minutes. Remove it from the oven and use a fork to gently poke any large air bubbles that have formed in the crust.
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the prebaked crust, leaving a small border around the edge.
- Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the sauce.
- Arrange the pepperoni slices in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Carefully remove the plate and use additional paper towels to blot away excess grease.
- Arrange the drained pepperoni slices over the cheese.
- Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots. Cool the pizza on a wire rack for 5 minutes before cutting in slices and serving.
(Optional) For the Garlic Butter:
- In a small dish, stir together the melted butter and minced garlic.
- As soon as the hot pizza comes out of the oven, brush the edges of the crust with garlic butter.
Notes
Nutrition
Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help.
If you post your creations on social media, tag #HappySimpleLiving so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza
Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.
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Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
