New York-Style Pepperoni Pizza
A hand-stretched, high-hydration dough baked hot on a steel until the bottom blisters and the slice droops just enough to fold.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min (plus 1½ hr rise)
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
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Whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar together and let stand until foamy on top, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil, then knead by hand or with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
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Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1½ hours.
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Meanwhile, stir the crushed tomatoes, garlic, and oregano together with a pinch of salt and set aside.
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Set a pizza steel or stone on the top oven rack and heat the oven as high as it goes, at least 500°F, for 45 minutes before baking.
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Punch down the dough and divide it into two balls; let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
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On a cornmeal-dusted peel, stretch one ball into a thin 12-inch round, working from the center out and leaving a puffed border.
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Spread with half the tomato sauce, then scatter with half the mozzarella and pepperoni.
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Slide the pizza onto the hot steel and bake until the crust is deeply spotted and the cheese is bubbling and browned in patches, 6 to 9 minutes.
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Finish with half the Parmesan, slice, and repeat with the second dough ball and remaining toppings.
Notes
A steel beats a stone for this — it holds more heat and gives the crust that char in half the time a stone needs. If you’re using a stone, expect to add a couple of minutes.
The dough also takes a cold ferment well: after the first rise, punch it down, divide it, and refrigerate the balls up to 24 hours, then let them sit out for an hour before stretching. It makes the crust taste like it came from somewhere else.