Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza Recipe

Prepare oven and dough

Preheat your oven to its highest setting (500–550°F / 260–290°C). If you have a pizza stone or steel, place it in the oven while it preheats for at least 30 minutes. Lightly dust a pizza peel or baking sheet with the all-purpose flour. Stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 12–14 inch round on a lightly floured surface, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust.

Transfer the stretched dough to the floured peel or prepared baking sheet. Brush the outer 1/2-inch rim of the dough with the olive oil to promote browning and crispness.

Evenly spoon the tomato pizza sauce over the dough, leaving the oiled rim bare. Use the back of a spoon to spread to within about 1/2 inch of the edge (use all ~3 tbs).

Scatter the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauced dough, making sure not to overload so the crust can crisp (use ~1.5 cups). Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top for an extra savory note.

Arrange the pepperoni slices in a single layer over the cheese, slightly overlapping if desired. Scatter the sliced peppadew peppers evenly (about 1/2 cup) so you get bursts of sweet, tangy flavor in each bite.

Lightly sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes over the assembled pizza, concentrating slightly toward the center if you want more heat there. (If you want less heat in the cheese, reserve half to sprinkle after baking.)

Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake at the high temperature for 8–12 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown at the edges. Rotate halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

When the pizza is done, remove from the oven and let rest on a cutting board for 1–2 minutes so the cheese sets slightly.

While the oven preheats or during baking, make the hot honey: combine the honey, apple cider vinegar, hot red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and salt in a small saucepan or skillet.

Warm the mixture over low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the honey thins slightly and the spices infuse. Do not boil — you want a gentle warm infusion to preserve honey flavor. Taste and adjust heat by adding a pinch more pepper flakes if needed. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes; strain if you prefer a smooth honey without flakes (optional).

Drizzle about 1.5–2 tablespoons of the warm hot honey evenly over the pizza, focusing slightly toward the center so each slice gets some. Reserve extra hot honey for serving at the table.

Scatter the fresh basil leaves over the finished pizza if using, then cut into 8 slices. Serve immediately with remaining hot honey on the side for guests who want extra sweetness and heat.