Description
This homemade pizza recipe guides you through making a crispy, golden 12-inch pizza with a perfectly puffy crust, rich tomato sauce, and a generous blend of mozzarella cheeses topped with pepperoni and parmesan. Baking on a preheated pizza stone ensures a crisp bottom and bubbling cheese, creating an authentic pizzeria experience right in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1 16-ounce ball of pizza dough (12 to 16 ounces is fine)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for rubbing dough)
Toppings
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 3 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
- 5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
- 2.5 ounces pepperoni (about half a 5-ounce package)
- 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather all your dough, sauce, cheeses, and pepperoni. This recipe makes enough toppings for one 12-inch pizza, so double if using more dough balls.
- Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone: Place a pizza stone in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 550°F (or as high as it goes, minimum 475°F) and let the stone heat for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare Work Surface: Lightly rub your countertop with olive oil to prevent sticking, or dust lightly with flour if your dough is sticky, avoiding excess flour to keep the dough tender.
- Roll Out Dough: Place dough ball onto your prepared surface and gently press from the center outward to form roughly a 12-inch circle. Use your hands primarily for stretching and shaping, optionally a rolling pin, turning the dough for even shape. Shape the edges thicker for crust.
- Transfer Dough to Parchment Paper: Move the dough onto a square of parchment paper for easy handling. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top, rubbing it evenly over the surface and edges. If you prefer thicker crust, let the dough rest 10 minutes before baking.
- Par-Bake the Dough: Slide the dough and parchment paper onto the hot pizza stone or pan. Par-bake in the oven for 1-2 minutes until slightly puffed and beginning to firm. Remove carefully using a pizza peel and poke down any large bubbles.
- Add Toppings: Keep the dough on the peel. Spread 1 cup pizza sauce evenly over dough, layer 3 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella, then 5 ounces shredded mozzarella. Add pepperoni slices and sprinkle 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese over the top.
- Final Bake: Transfer pizza directly onto the hot pizza stone without parchment paper. Bake 8-12 minutes until crust edges are golden brown and cheese is bubbly with some browning. If top browns faster than bottom, tent with foil.
- Cool and Serve: Remove pizza with peel, transfer to a cooling rack to keep crust crisp. After cooling a few minutes, slice into 8 pieces and enjoy your homemade pizza.
Notes
- Using a pizza stone is crucial for a crispy bottom; if unavailable, use a rimmed baking sheet or pizza pan and monitor bottom crust closely.
- Par-baking is recommended to prevent soggy crust and ensures thorough cooking.
- Adjust cheese amounts if you prefer lighter toppings but beware that too much cheese may hinder cooking through.
- You can customize toppings beyond pepperoni — mushrooms, olives, ham, pineapple, sausage, or onions all work well.
- Handling the pizza carefully during transfers is important to maintain shape and avoid toppings falling off.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
