Pepp Recipe

Preheat and prepare dough

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. Lightly dust a pizza peel or baking sheet with flour or semolina. Stretch or roll the 1 lb pizza dough into a 12–14-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Brush the outer edge lightly with 1 tbs olive oil.

Combine the crushed tomatoes (3 oz), minced garlic (1 tsp), dried oregano (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp) and black pepper (1 tsp) in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Taste and adjust salt. Spread an even, thin layer of the tomato mixture over the stretched dough, leaving the rim exposed (about 1/2 inch). Use all the sauce — it should be a light coat rather than a heavy layer.

Distribute the torn or sliced fresh mozzarella (6 oz) over the sauced dough in an even layer. Arrange the pepperoni slices (3 oz) on top of the mozzarella, overlapping slightly if desired for crisp edges. Sprinkle the finely grated pecorino romano (1 oz) evenly over the whole pizza, concentrating a little more toward the center for flavor.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is golden and blistered in spots and the cheese is bubbling and slightly caramelized. If you prefer crispier pepperoni edges, bake toward the longer end of the time range.

Remove the pizza from the oven. If using, scatter fresh basil leaves (6 leaves) over the top and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes (0.5 tsp) to taste. Let the pizza rest 2 minutes, then drizzle spicy honey (2 tbs) over the pie if you ordered the add-on; alternatively serve the honey on the side for guests to add.