The Crimson Crown Classic
A masterfully balanced pepperoni pizza featuring high-moisture mozzarella and a vibrant tomato base on a perfectly charred crust.
Ingredients
Base Sauce
Pizza Sauce
Cheese
Mozzarella
Meat Toppings
Pepperoni
How to Make It
Dough72-hour cold-fermented sourdough or high-hydration Neapolitan dough, brought to room temperature 2 hours before stretching.
SauceApply the pizza sauce in a smooth, thin layer using the back of a ladle, spiraling from the center outwards to the crust edge.
- 1Preheat your oven to 525°F (275°C) with a pizza stone or steel on the upper rack for at least 60 minutes.
- 2On a lightly floured surface, hand-stretch the dough to 12 inches, maintaining a slightly thicker rim for the cornicione.
- 3Spread the pizza sauce evenly, leaving exactly 1 inch of bare dough at the perimeter.
- 4Distribute the mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce, ensuring coverage right up to the sauce line to prevent burning.
- 5Layer the pepperoni slices across the cheese, overlapping them slightly as they will shrink during the bake.
- 6Launch the pizza onto the preheated stone using a peel dusted with a small amount of semolina flour.
- 7Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cheese is blistered and the pepperoni edges are crisp and curled.
- 8Use a pizza turner to rotate the pie 180 degrees at the 4-minute mark for an even bake.
- 9Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack for 90 seconds to preserve the crust's crunch.
- 10Slice into eight even wedges and serve immediately while the cheese is molten.
Chef's Tip
For the most aesthetic 'cup and char' pepperoni, use a natural casing variety and place them directly over the cheese so the heat can circulate around the edges, causing them to curl into tiny bowls of savory oil.