Pepperoni Pizza

Pepperoni is a type of salami usually made out of cured beef and pork. That curing process gives this meat product that distinct orange-pink colour which is attributed by the curing agent Sodium Nitrite for the pink colour and Capsicum and paprika for the orange colour. The name came from the word peperoni (take note of the single “p”) which is the plural form of peperone which means “pepper”. Pepperoni is a very popular pizza topping but not limited to it, it can also be used in subs and sandwiches. But for this post we will be using this wonderful ingredient in a simple pepperoni pizza, I had posted several variations of pizza before but now I guess will opt in for a simple classic.

Ingredients (Pizza Crust)

2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/3 cup water, Warm
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry oregano leaves
1 cup water, cold
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup for dusting
1 1/2 tbsp corn oil
1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal (or ground corn chips)
olive oil for greasing the pan

Ingredients (Pizza)

150g pepperoni
1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 large white onions, finely chopped
4 tbsp tomato puree
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt

Method

1. Mix yeast and 1 tsp sugar on warm water, set aside until very bubbly.
2. Now combine the rest of the ingredients for the crust but using only 1 1/2 cup of flour with the yeast mixture. Mix with a spatula until it forms a batter.
3. Now slowly add the remaining flour and start kneading in a floured surface (don’t knead the dough too much that the texture is tough)
4. Now place it in a big greased bowl and cover it with a cling wrap, make sure it will handle twice the size of the dough. Place in a warm location (I usually place it in an oven preheated to 60C then turned off) for around 45 minutes or until it doubled the size.
5. Once doubled, remove from container, deflate and continue to knead, flatten using a rolling-pin make sure the thickness is no greater than 5mm, place it in a well-greased pan, brush with oil and dust with corn meal.
6. In a small bowl mix together tomato puree, minced garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Place your toppings brushing the dough with olive oil initially, then with the tomato puree mix, and then add the mozzarella, then finally topping it with Pepperoni. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
8. Place in a preheated over at 230C for 20 to 25 minutes.