Pepperoni Pizza
- All- purpose flour for the pizza peel or olive oil for the pizza tray or the baking sheet
- One recipe homemade dough, preferably the Classic Pizza Dough ; or 1 pound purchased fresh dough or frozen dough, thawed; or one 12- to 14- inch store- bought, prebaked plain pizza crust
- 6 tablespoons Classic Pizza Sauce , No- Cook Pizza Sauce , or jarred plain pizza sauce
- 8 ounces (1⁄2 pound) regular, low- fat, fat- free, or soy mozzarella, shredded
- 3 ounces beef, pork, or soy pepperoni, sliced into thin rings
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rings
Instructions:
Related to dry salami, pepperoni is an Italian- style sausage, usually made from beef or pork. Of course, you can also use vegetarian pepperoni, made from soy protein but spiced in a similar way. Still, the quality and spiciness of the type you choose will directly affect the pizza’s quality. If possible, have it sliced for you at the butcher section of your supermarket.
- BAKING OPTIONS
- With a pizza stone. Preheat the stone in the oven at 450°F for 30 to 45 minutes; or preheat the stone on a gas grill at medium, indirect heat (about 450°F) for 30 to 45 minutes; or build an indirect, medium- heat fire in a charcoal grill and preheat the stone for the same amount of time.
- With a pizza tray or a large baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 450°F, a gas grill to indirect, medium heat (about 450°F), or build an indirect, medium- heat coal bed around the perimeter of a charcoal grill.
- CRUST OPTIONS
- Fresh dough on a pizza stone. First, dust a pizza peel lightly with fl our. Add the dough and form it into a large circle by dimpling it with your fi ngertips. Pick it up and stretch and rotate it by its edge until it’s about 14 inches in diameter. Set it floured side down on the peel.
- Fresh dough on a pizza tray or a large baking sheet. Grease either with a little olive oil dabbed on a paper towel. Lay the dough at the center of the pizza tray or baking sheet; dimple the dough with your fi ngertips—then pull and press it until it forms a 14- inch circle on the tray or an irregular, 12 × 7- inch rectangle on the baking sheet.
- A prebaked crust. Place it on a fl oured pizza peel if you’re also using a pizza stone—or place the prebaked crust on a pizza tray or a large baking sheet.
- Spread the sauce over the prepared crust with a rubber spatula, leaving a 1 ⁄2- inch border at the crust’s edge. Top with half the shredded cheese.
- Lay the pepperoni and shallot slices evenly over the sauce, then top with the other half of the cheese. Taking care not to dislodge the toppings, slide the pizza from the peel to the hot stone; or place the pie on its tray or baking sheet either in the oven or on the part of the grill grate that is not directly over the heat source.
- Bake or grill with the lid closed until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden and somewhat fi rm, 16 to 18 minutes. Slide the peel back under the pie to take it off the very hot stone or remove the pie on its tray or baking sheet from the oven or grill and set it on a wire rack. In any event, cool the pizza for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. If you want to make sure the crust stays crisp, transfer the pie from the peel, tray, or baking sheet directly to the wire rack after a minute or two.