Whole 28" Pepperoni / Italian Sausage Recipe

Mixing

Combine 3.5 cups water, 2 tsp instant yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer (use a bowl if mixing by hand). Let sit 1–2 minutes until yeast begins to bloom. Add 8 cups bread flour and 2 tbs sea salt to the bowl. Using the dough hook on low speed (or a wooden spoon by hand), mix until ingredients come together into a shaggy dough, about 2–3 minutes.

Kneading

Increase mixer speed to medium and knead about 6–8 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. If kneading by hand, turn onto floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes. Add 2 tbs olive oil during the last minute of kneading to incorporate.

Bulk rise

Shape dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise at room temperature until roughly doubled, about 60–90 minutes (time varies with ambient temp). For better flavor, refrigerate 12–24 hours for a slow cold ferment: divide into balls before refrigerating (see portioning).

Portioning

For one 28-inch pizza, you need roughly 36–40 ounces (about 1.0–1.13 kg) of dough depending on desired crust thickness. From the total dough above you can either: a) use the whole batch to create a single very thin 28" pizza, or b) divide into two 14–16" pizzas. If using full batch for one 28" pizza, shape the dough into one large ball and let rest 30–45 minutes after refrigerating or after bulk rise to relax the gluten before stretching.

Bring to room temperature

If dough was refrigerated, remove it from the fridge 1–2 hours before baking and keep covered to come to room temperature and become pliable.

Make the sauce while dough is resting. In a small bowl, combine 2 cups crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp sugar (optional) and 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil. Stir until uniform. Taste and adjust salt or herbs. This sauce is meant to be bright and slightly loose—not thick—so it spreads easily on a large pizza. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook the Italian sausage: heat a skillet over medium heat, add the removed sausage meat, break it up with a spatula, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 7–9 minutes. Drain excess fat on paper towels. Let cool slightly before using.

If your pepperoni slices are very oily, blot with paper towels to reduce excess grease. Shred the mozzarella and measure out Parmesan. Preheat your oven or deck oven: if using a domestic oven, set to its highest temperature (500–550°F / 260–290°C) and preheat with a pizza stone or steel for at least 45 minutes. If using a commercial deck or conveyor oven, follow equipment instructions to reach appropriate bakes for thin crust.

Prep the peel

Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet liberally with 0.25 cups semolina or cornmeal so the assembled pizza will slide easily into the oven.

Stretch the dough

On a lightly floured surface, press the dough ball from center outward to create a 1–2 inch rim and a thin center. For a 28-inch pizza, work slowly and rotate the dough as you stretch, supporting the weight with the knuckles and gravity to reach an even 28-inch diameter. Aim for a rim of about 1/4–1/2 inch and a very thin center. If the dough resists, let it rest 5–10 minutes and continue.

Sauce and cheese

Place the stretched dough on the prepared peel. Spoon or ladle about 1.5 to 2 cups of sauce onto the center and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly, leaving the rim bare. Sprinkle 6 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella evenly over the sauced surface (reserve a little for areas that look thin). Then scatter 0.75 cup grated Parmesan over the top.

Add pepperoni and sausage

Distribute 4 cups pepperoni slices evenly across the pizza so there is good coverage but not heavy overlap that prevents even cooking. Scatter the 2 cups cooked crumbled Italian sausage among the pepperoni. Sprinkle 1 tsp red pepper flakes evenly if you want heat.

Slide the pizza from the peel onto the preheated stone or steel. Bake at the highest temperature available. In a home oven at 500–550°F, bake 8–12 minutes until the crust is crisp and blistered, cheese is melted and pepperoni edges are slightly crisp. In a commercial deck/stone oven you may bake faster; watch closely (4–7 minutes). Rotate the pizza halfway through bake if your oven has hot spots.

If pepperoni or sausage produces excess grease, tilt pizza briefly on the peel and blot a little with paper towel during a quick oven door opening to remove pooled fat (do this carefully to maintain oven temp).

When baked, use the peel to remove the pizza to a cutting board. Immediately brush the exposed crust lightly with 1 tbs olive oil to add sheen and flavor. Scatter torn fresh basil on top if using. Let rest 2–3 minutes so cheese sets slightly.

Slice the 28-inch pizza into 12–16 slices depending on desired serving size. Serve hot.