Basic Pepperoni Pizza and Four Cheese Pizza

  4.7 – 41 reviews  • Tomato
Total: 2 hr 40 min
Active: 40 min

Ingredients

  1. 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  2. 4 cups all-purpose flour
  3. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  4. 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl
  5. 1/2 to 3/4 cup store-bought or homemade Pizza Sauce, recipe follows
  6. 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
  7. 1 cup pepperoni pieces
  8. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  9. Salt and pepper
  10. One 3.5-ounce jar pesto
  11. 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
  12. 4 ounces fontina, grated
  13. 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  14. 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  15. 1/4 cup olive oil
  16. 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
  17. 1 pint red grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  18. 1 pint yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  19. 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  20. 16 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade, plus more if needed
  21. Salt and pepper
  22. 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  23. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  24. 1 medium onion, chopped finely
  25. 1/2 cup chicken broth
  26. Three 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  27. Salt and pepper
  28. Salt and pepper
  29. Pinch sugar
  30. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  31. 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. For the pizza dough: Sprinkle the active dry yeast over 1 1/2 cups of warm–not lukewarm–water.
  2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil and mix until combined. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix until combined.
  3. Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil and tip the dough in. Form a ball and toss to coat the dough ball in the olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 or 4 days refrigerated.
  4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
  5. To prepare the dough for the pizza assembly: Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll out one part as thinly as possible and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. 
  6. For the basic pepperoni pizza: Spread the sauce over the pizza base. Top with the sliced mozzarella and pepperoni.
  7. For the four cheese pizza: Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Pour the jar of pesto onto the dough and spread evenly. Add the mozzarella, fontina, goat cheese and Pecorino Romano.
  8. Bake both pizzas until the crusts are golden and the cheese is bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes.
  9. For the tomato basil salad: While the pizzas are baking, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Add the garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute and removing it from the heat before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden). Pour it into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the tomatoes, balsamic, basil and some salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, and then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed. Set aside.
  10. Top the four cheese pizza with the tomato basil salad. Cut the pizzas into slices and serve.
  11. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a hot pan over medium-high heat. Throw in the garlic and chopped onions and give them a stir. Cook until the onions are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, whisking to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid reduces by half. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar. Add the dried oregano and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Reviews

Lee Guerra
I made this for my family and it was a hit!!! My twin 5 year olds gave it 2 thumbs way up and the hubby was totally impressed wanting me to try more of your recipes. I’ve been rewatching your episodes with my daughter and it been so much fun recreating them with her by my side. So thank you so very much.
Anna Thornton
The tomato basil salad is one of my favorite recipes for pizza. the cheese I use varies depending on what I have on hand. I use my own pizza crust recipes.
Jill Jones
Even though I rolled this dough very thin (to the point I thought the sauce would leak through) it still puffed up too much.  After the pizza baked, it looked beautiful but was a softer pizza crust than I like.  The taste was good but not a thin, crispy crust.   Will not make again.
Daniel Pollard
I made the dough only. Great recipe! I was too lazy to roll it out so I just pushed it into place on a rimmed sheet pan. I saved the other half and made another pizza the next day. For toppings, I started with jarred marinara sauce, topped with pizza cheese and then used up leftovers from Thanksgiving and a fridge clean out. Cubes ham, asparagus, halved cherry tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms and cubed pineapple. Yum!
Mrs. Crystal Atkins PhD
Super easy to work with compared to other doughs. Just sprayed it with olive oil and didn’t have to use flour to roll it out!!! AWESOME!!!!
Darryl Austin
My teens loved this pizza. I used store-bought pizza sauce in a jar. The dough is sticky so I rolled it out directly on parchment and slid it onto the sheet pan, which made it so much easier.
John Mills
Candace Summers
I love pizza!
Emma Smith
Perfect! Dough is really easy to make.
Nicole Scott
I’ve made this four times in the past two months. The sauce is incredible. The pizza dough is very good as well, I am just having trouble crisping the crust without a pizza stone or something else that will accomplish that. The baking tin doesn’t seem to accomplish that.

 

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