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The Lowdown on This Pepperoni Pizza
I don’t know about y’all, but pizza is basically a love language in my house. My husband and daughter are OBSESSED. Harmony could eat pizza every single day if I let her. And while takeout is cool and all, nothing beats homemade.
If you’re a pizza lover, you must try this pepperoni pizza recipe boos. It’s melty and meaty, with a garlic herb crust to pump up the flavor. Harmony actually helped me out with kneading the dough, rolling it out, and loading up the toppings. To say she was proud of her yummy creation is an understatement!
Ingredients you’ll need to make Pepperoni Pizza
- Flour: I always recommend all-purpose flour. But you can swap in bread flour for a slightly chewier bite.
- Salt: Don’t skip it boos!
- Granulated sugar: Regular granulated sugar works best, but you can also use unrefined cane sugar.
- Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast: My secret weapon to incredible pizza crusts, y’all. Every time I use it, the dough turns out consistently tender, soft, and pillowy. Plus, it works fast and lasts forever in the pantry.
- Lukewarm water: Gotta get this right boos! Too hot? Yeast dies. Too cold? Dough takes forever to rise. Keep it between 120°-130°F.
- Olive oil: Use avocado oil or even a light vegetable oil instead.
- Butter: Unsalted is best so you can control the salt levels.
- Pizza sauce: Use Homemade Pizza Sauce for the most authentic taste. If you’re in a pinch, store-bought pizza sauce will also work.
- Mozzarella & parmesan: Mozzarella gives that classic melty stretch, while parmesan brings a sharp, nutty bite. You can also try provolone, sharp cheddar, or gruyere.
- Pepperoni slices: If you wanna switch it up, go for salami, soppressata, or even spicy chorizo. Or you can also skip the pepperoni and pile on the veggies! Mushrooms, bell peppers, olives… Go wild with it.
- Seasonings: Wanna know how to make the BEST pizza crust evah boos? Add oregano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, swap it with a mix of dried basil and thyme.
How to make Pepperoni Pizza
I’ll say it right now, the key to making fire homemade pizza is ALL in the crust. If you have little ones at home, definitely get them involved with this part. Teach them how to knead and shape the dough.
Harmony and I always have a blast making this together! Just be warned, there will be flour everywhere. But that’s part of the fun! And if the word “yeast” makes you nervous, don’t even stress boos. Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast makes the process quick and easy, so you’ll have that perfect crust without waiting all day.
Pepperoni Pizza with Garlic Herb Crust
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Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour separated
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast
- 1 tbsp quality olive oil plus more to coat the bowl
- ⅔ cup lukewarm water between 120°—130°F
For the Pizza Toppings
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese freshly shredded
- 3 tablespoons parmesan freshly shredded
- 8-12 pepperoni slices
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Crust
- Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and RapidRise yeast to a medium sized bowl. Quickly combine the dry mixture with a whisk.
- Then add the tablespoon of olive oil and water. Mix until well combined. It will be sticky.
- Flour a surface and your hands. Add the dough to the surface and begin kneading flour into the dough. Continue to knead and rotate the dough, adding small amounts of flour until everything is mixed together.
- Do a little kneading and form a ball. At this point, the dough should not be super sticky.
- Take a large bowl and coat with quality olive oil. Add the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours (3 hours is better).
- When ready, preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. It should be pretty pliable and easy to work with. Make sure you stretch to about 12 inches in diameter.
- Transfer to a prepared round pizza pan or stone.
For the Pizza Toppings
- Top the pizza dough with sauce leaving a 1/2 inch of edges for the crust bare.
- Sprinkle on the cheeses then add the pepperoni slices.
- Stir together the melted butter, oregano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and pinch of salt. Brush the butter over the edges of the crust. If using a pizza pan with holes, place a large baking sheet under it or on the bottom shelf to help catch oil drippings.
- Place on lower shelf and bake for 18 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
- Allow the pizza to rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Tips for making the best quick pizza crust
- Use quality yeast. To guarantee a soft and chewy pizza crust every time, give Fleischmann’s® Yeast a try boos! You won’t regret it. And if you’re still a bit scared of using yeast, learn all about the basics before you dive in!
- Watch the crust. The end result should be golden brown. If it’s still white, it needs a bit more time. But don’t go too far, burnt crust ain’t it!
- Catch those drips. If you’re using a pizza pan with holes, slide a baking sheet on the rack right below to catch any drips. Saves you from a smoky kitchen situation.
- Get a pizza cutter, y’all! It makes slicing SO much easier and neater than a regular knife. You don’t realize how much you need it until you’ve got one in hand.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Add cheese on cheese. Mix in a handful of cheddar or gouda with the mozzarella. Because more cheese is always the right move.
- Switch up the meats. Pepperoni is classic, but sausage, bacon, or shredded chicken work too. Load it up how you like boos!
- Boos the veggies. Throw on roasted red peppers, spinach, or even artichokes if you wanna keep it light but tasty.
- Do your thing! Put whatever makes you happy on that pizza, even pineapple if that’s your thing. Have fun with it y’all!
What to serve with homemade pizza
- Fresh Salad Fix: Balance out all that cheesy goodness with a lil’ somethin’ fresh y’all. Try a cucumber and onion salad, throw together a harvest fall salad, or keep it real simple with a vinegar coleslaw.
- Get Bready wit’ It: More bread? Oh, you know it! Serve up some garlic cheese breadsticks or garlic bread.
- Fried Goodies: Gotta have some fried sides on the table! Fried green tomatoes, mozarella sticks (use up that leftover mozzarella boo!) onion rings, pickles, or okra.
- Wings, Wings, Wings: If you’re going for a full-on feast, you gotta throw some wings in the mix. Go with classic buffalo, lemon pepper, pomegranate honey, or honey garlic jerk chicken wings.
How to store & reheat Pepperoni Pizza
You can refrigerate the slices by stacking them with pieces of foil or parchment paper in between. This keeps each slice fresh and ready to grab. BTW, you can also pop that dough in the fridge for several hours or even overnight if you’re preppin’ ahead!
To reheat pizza, my food hack is to use the air fryer. It crisps the dough up and makes the cheese and toppings taste just like they did when you made it fresh! If you don’t have an air fryer, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and add your slices to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is perfectly melted. I recommend loosely covering the pizza slices with foil so they steam a little.
And hey, some people swear that microwave pizza tastes better, so if that’s your jam, go for it!
How long will Pepperoni Pizza last in the fridge?
This pizza will stay tasty in the fridge for about 3-4 days. After that, it’s time to say goodbye to those cheesy slices.
Can I freeze garlic herb pizza crust?
Fo sho! Wrap each slice in foil and pop them in an airtight container or baggie, and they’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months. The dough itself can also be frozen for up to 3 months, so you’re always down for a homemade pizza night.
Frequently asked questions
Whatever you like, boo! You can get those big deli-style slices or go with the classic small rounds, both will work like a charm. Prepackaged pepperoni is super convenient, but if you want that fresh taste, grab a few slices from the deli counter.
Nope! This pepperoni pizza recipe keeps things simple, just roll out your dough, top it, and bake it all together.
Well, a soggy crust usually means too much sauce or toppings, or the oven might not be hot enough. Make sure you keep the sauce layer light, avoid overloading the toppings, and bake at a good high temp.
More Pizza-Inspired Recipes
- Homemade Pizza Rolls
- Pizza Grilled Cheese
- Meaty Pizza Rolls
- Meat Lovers Pizza
- Neapolitan Pizza
- Philly Cheese Steak Pizza
- Sicilian Pizza
- Mexican Pizza
- Prosciutto Pizza
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How cute is your daughter helping you with this?? It makes me miss the days when mine were that young and helping me in the kitchen (they are 18 and almost 16 now)! Pizza from scratch just can’t be beat. And I love Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast. I use it all the time!
This pepperoni pizza was absolutely delicious! Nothing beats homemade. The garlic herb crust took it to the next level!
The crust was delicious! The whole family loved it!
This is a great crust recipe. It gets perfectly crisp and I love the added garlic.
this pizza is DELICIOUS! great idea to add seasoning to the dough. PS this dough is so easy and delicious, with great yeast
Love the herb garlic crust idea. I love garlic bread, pizza, and pepperoni, so it’s like two for the price of one deal. The dough recipe is really easy, in case someone is intimidated to make one from scratch.