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–+ servings
a thin crust pepperoni pizza cut into slices on a pizza peel.

Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza from Scratch on a Pizza Steel

Rebecca Eisenberg
A classic thin crust pepperoni pizza with just the right amount of acidity from a no-cook tomato sauce, an even blanket of gorgeously browned mozzarella cheese, crispy pepperoni, and fresh basil to finish.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Oven Preheating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 18 minutes
Servings 1 pizza

Ingredients
  

Pizza Sauce (Makes enough for 3 pizzas)

  • 6 ounces salt-free tomato sauce
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Pepperoni Pizza Assembly

  • 1 ball overnight thin crust pizza dough (200-250 grams)
  • 2 ounces pizza sauce
  • 1 cup low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup pepperoni
  • 1 sprig fresh basil (2-3 large leaves)
  • ⅛ cup parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven with baking steel at 500°F for 1 hour prior to baking. Remove pizza dough from fridge and allow to come to room temperature at least 60-90 minutes prior to stretching.
  • Make the pizza sauce. Whisk together tomato sauce, salt, basil, oregano, and finely grated garlic.
  • Grate the cheese. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the mozzarella cheese. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  • Lightly dust a wooden pizza peel with semolina flour.
  • Hand stretch pizza dough. Stretch the pizza dough into a round about 10-16" in size, depending on how thick you want it or the size of your dough ball. (See: How to Hand Stretch Pizza Dough.)
  • Sauce it. Use the back of a metal spoon to spread about 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce almost all the way to the edge of the crust. Add more sauce only if needed, but a thin layer is more than enough.
  • Cheese and toppings. Add the mozzarella cheese and top with pepperoni slices, leaving some room between slices. Finish with a dusting of finely grated parmesan cheese.

Pepperoni Pizza Baking

  • Shimmy. Give the pepperoni pizza a shimmy on the wooden pizza peel to make sure that no parts of the crust have stuck. Dust additional flour underneath any stuck spots if needed.
  • Launch. Open the oven and line up the tip of the pizza peel with the back of the steel. Tilt it at an angle (20° or so) and give it a quick thrust to help the pizza begin sliding off. As the pizza slides, pull the peel straight back, keeping the tip of the peel on the steel, depositing the pizza on to the hot surface to begin cooking.
  • Bake. Bake the pizza for 2-3 minutes, then use the pizza peel to rotate it in place on the steel so it cooks evenly. Bake 2-3 minutes more, then broil for 1 minute or until as browned as you like. Remove from the oven.
  • Basil. Stack the basil leaves on top of each other and roll them into a log. Chiffonade the basil by slicing the log into thin ribbons. Top the hot pizza with fresh basil ribbons. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

  • You can also make the pizza sauce in a bullet blender or mini food processor.
  • If the mozzarella cheese is too soft to grate, pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes prior to grating.
  • Once the pizza has sauce on top of it, don't let it sit too long on the peel before baking. The longer it sits, the more likely it will get stuck! You don't need to rush like you're in a pit crew, but try to get the pizza toppings on and the pizza in the oven in less than 10 minutes.
  • Store pizza sauce in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. After 3 months it won't be "bad" but you may notice a degradation in flavor or texture