Classic Pepperoni Pizza

Name: Classic Pepperoni Pizza
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 55 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 6 cups Bread flour; 2.5 tsp Active dry yeast; 2 cups Warm water; 3 tbsp Olive oil; 2 tsp Kosher salt; 3 cans Crushed tomatoes; 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Dried oregano; 32 oz Fresh mozzarella, torn; 16 oz Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded; 16 oz Pepperoni slices; 1 cup Grated parmesan

Friday hall pie — not delivery

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 175 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Friday hall pie — not delivery. Sized for a full crew, with timing that still works when the kitchen gets interrupted.

Why crews like it: A hall pick for regular dinner nights — one line, real portions, no drama at the stove.

0Cal

0gProtein

0gCarbs

0gFat

Ingredients

6 cups Bread flour
2.5 tsp Active dry yeast
2 cups Warm water
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
3 cans Crushed tomatoes
4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Dried oregano
32 oz Fresh mozzarella, torn
16 oz Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
16 oz Pepperoni slices
1 cup Grated parmesan

Instructions

Proof dough for multiple pies: Bloom yeast in warm water 5 minutes. Mix flour, salt, oil, and yeast water; knead 8–10 minutes until smooth. Rise 1–1½ hours until doubled. For eight hungry firefighters, plan three large pies or four medium — scale dough portions accordingly.
Simmer pizza sauce: Simmer crushed tomatoes with garlic and oregano 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Cool briefly — hot sauce melts dough and makes a soggy center.
Heat oven and stone or steel: Place pizza stone or steel in the oven; preheat to 500°F at least 45 minutes. Prep cheese and pepperoni while the oven saturates — surface temp matters more than air temp.
Stretch, sauce, cheese, pepperoni: Divide dough; stretch by hand to 12–14 inch rounds. Sauce lightly — wet centers sag. Layer mozzarella and pepperoni; leave a ½ inch rim. Work on parchment or a floured peel.
Bake until blistered: Bake each pie 10–14 minutes until cheese bubbles with brown spots and the underside sounds hollow. Rotate once for hot spots. Keep finished pies on racks, not stacked — steam kills crust.
Rest, cut, and run the line: Rest 2 minutes, cut into 8 slices per pie, and fan on sheet trays. Classic Pepperoni Pizza night — dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni. Keep a backup pie warming at 200°F.

Tonight's spread

Fan pepperoni slices on sheet trays — keep a backup pie warming at 200°F uncovered.
Cut each pie into at least 8 slices for hall portions; label plain cheese backup if you make one.

Hall tips

Keep a backup tray warm in the oven for late calls — nothing worse than cold plates after a run.
Taste for salt at the end — hall palates run salty after long shifts.

Leftovers

Cool leftovers in shallow containers within two hours — deep pots stay hot too long.
Label trays with date and reheat to 165°F minimum before second shift.

Pizza stone or steel
Peel or inverted sheet pan
Large sheet trays
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil