This Spicy Pepperoni Sicilian Pizza is the Easiest Pizza You Can Make for a Crowd

Spicy Pepperoni Pan Pizza

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

Though you can make this pizza in any oven, I designed this recipe specifically to work perfectly the Wonder Oven Pro, which I co-designed with the folks at Our Place. The recipe takes advantage of the Wonder Oven Pro's proofing mode to speed up shaping and relaxing the dough, as well as the Wonder Oven Pro's non-coated non-stick baking pan for a crisp surface that the pizza slides right out of.

Until October 14, use code Kenji10 for 10% off the Wonder Oven Pro or my new Titanium Pro nonstick, non-coated clad cookware line. Order here: https://fromourplace.com/collections/j-kenji-lopez-alt

This is a no-nonsense, old-school pan pizza that doesn’t ask you to own a pizza stone, steel, or peel. The dough can be made three ways—food processor, stand mixer, or no-knead overnight—so you can pick what works best for your kitchen (and your patience level). It’s soft and airy inside, crisp on the bottom, cheesy on top, and loaded with garlicky, spicy tomato sauce. Basically: party pizza.

What I like about this recipe:

• A spicy, garlicky tomato sauce is supported by a crispy, airy, chewy base.

• The dough can be made with several different kneading methods, depending on your preferences.

• Natural casing pepperoni cups and chars for a blast of flavor and texture

Yield: 1 half-sheet pan pizza (feeds 6 to 8)
Active time: 30 minutes (plus resting/rising and baking)
Total time: 4 to 24 hours, depending on dough method

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 500g bread flour (about 3 1/2 cups)

• 14g kosher salt (1 tablespoon; use half the volume if using table salt)

• 4g instant yeast (1 teaspoon)

• 20g olive oil (2 tablespoons), plus 40g (1/4 cup) for the pan

• 325g water, room temp (about 1 1/3 cups)

For the Sauce

• 20g olive oil (2 tablespoons)

• 9 cloves garlic (about 45g), roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)

• 1 (28oz / 800g) can whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Salt to taste

Toppings

• 450g (1 pound) sliced or shredded low-moisture mozzarella

• 375g (12 ounces) natural-casing pepperoni, sliced 1/8 inch thick

• 60g (2 ounces) Pecorino Romano, grated

Method

1. Make the Dough: First, decide what method you'd like to use:

   • Food processor (fastest): Combine all dough ingredients in a food processor. Run the processor until a ball forms, then continue processing for 30 seconds.

   • Stand mixer: Combine flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment and mix them together. Add the oil and water and knead with dough hook on medium until smooth and stretchy, about 6 minutes total, stopping occasionally to ensure that any dry or shaggy dough stuck to the bottom or sides of the bowl get incorprated. When finished, it should cling to the bottom but not the sides of the bowl.

   • No-knead (easiest but longest): Combine all dough ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl tightly and it rest at room temp for 12–18 hours. If you'd like, you can stretch and fold the dough a few times during this process to improve texture.

2. Pan It and Rise: Pour 40g oil into a half-sheet pan or the Wonder Oven Pro baking pan. Drop in your dough, turn to coat, and spread it gently with your hands. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and let it sit for 2- to 3 hours at room temperature until it relaxes and spreads. If you have a proofing oven, such as the Wonder Oven Pro, use the proofing mode at 80°F to cut the proofing time down to about an hour and a half. When ready, use oiled hands to nudge and stretch the dough into the corners of the pan. Let it rest while you make the sauce.

3. For the Sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium. Add garlic, oregano, and chile flakes and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, mash them up with a potato masher until saucy but chunky. Stir in the sugar and a big pinch of salt. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Re-season as necessary.

4. Assemble: Preheat the oven to 450°F (or as high as it goes) with rack in the bottom third. Lay mozzarella slices evenly over dough. Dollop and spread sauce over the cheese (don’t drown it; you’ll have extra sauce). Top with pepperoni. Sprinkle half the Romano over the top.

5. Bake: Bake until the bottom is golden brown and crackly and the pepperoni edges are crisp, cupped, and lightly charred, 12 to 15 minutes. If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil and keep baking until the bottom looks right. Sprinkle with the rest of the Romano. Cut into squares. Serve immediately.

Notes

• You’ll have leftover sauce. Freeze it or stir it into pasta later in the week.

• Pepperoni cups = best pepperoni. Read the fascinating science behind why some pepperoni curls and others don't. (The true answer may surprise you). https://www.seriouseats.com/the-pizza-lab-why-does-pepperoni-curl