Roni Roni Roni Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). If you have a pizza stone or steel, place it on the middle rack while preheating. Lightly dust a work surface with the all-purpose flour.

If using refrigerated prepared square dough, let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes so it's easier to stretch. On the floured surface, gently press and stretch the dough into a 12 x 12 inch square, keeping an even thickness. If dough resists, let it rest 5–10 minutes and try again.

Transfer the stretched dough to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet or a parchment-lined peel if using a stone. Brush the perimeter lightly with half of the olive oil (about 1/2 tbs) to help the crust brown.

Prepare sauce with Calabrian chili

In a small bowl, stir together the tomato pizza sauce and Calabrian chili paste until evenly combined. Taste and adjust heat: add more chili paste if you want stronger heat. This ensures the chili is distributed, not clumped.

Assemble pizza

Spread the chili-tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch (1–2 cm) border around the edges for the crust. Use about 3 tbs sauce total; avoid over-saucing to prevent a soggy center.

Evenly distribute the blended mozzarella over the sauced dough. If your blended mozzarella is very loose, dollop it in 6–8 spoonfuls and gently spread to cover most of the surface while leaving the border clear. The blended texture will melt to a smooth, slightly creamy layer.

Arrange the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese in a single layer or slightly overlapping, covering the pizza as desired. Reserve any extra pepperoni for later.

Bake

Place the pizza on the preheated stone/steel or put the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack. Bake 8–12 minutes, rotating halfway if your oven heats unevenly, until the crust is golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbly with faint browning. Baking time will vary with oven temperature and stone/steel use; watch closely after 6 minutes.

Finish

Remove the pizza from the oven. Immediately brush the crust lightly with the remaining olive oil (about 1/2 tbs) to add shine and flavor. Sprinkle the grated parmesan/pecorino and coarse sea salt over the hot pizza. If desired, scatter fresh basil leaves and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for extra heat.

Let the pizza rest 2–3 minutes, then cut into 6–8 square slices and serve hot.