Sheet Pan Pepperoni Pizza
Serves 4
1 pizza dough ball, room temperature
Extra virgin olive oil
Crushed plum tomatoes or strained tomatoes, seasoned with a little sea salt
8 oz ball of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 package of pepperoni (I used half of a 4 oz package)
Sea salt
Optional: Parmigiano Reggiano, dried oregano, chili flakes
Instructions
Place your baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 550ºF or the hottest setting you can get it to. Generously grease your baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil. If you baking sheet has a tendency to stick to food, you can also add some parchment paper to the bottom of the sheet.
Start stretching your dough ball out while holding it up in the air. Place it in the middle of the sheet tray and, with the tips of your fingers, gently push it towards the edges of the tray. If it springs back a lot, cover it with the towel again and let it rest. Keep stretching it until you get it as close to the edges as possible. Sprinkle it with a little sea salt.
Start spreading a thin layer of tomato all over the top of the dough, leaving a little edge of crust. Next, add thinly sliced mozzarella. And, finally, add as much pepperoni as you like. Place the pizza in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Check it. Continue to cook until the cheese on top is bubbling and the crust is golden, probably a few more minutes but keep your eye on it. Don’t walk away! Once the pizza is finished, remove from the oven and let it rest for a minute. With a spatula, carefully remove it from the tray and place it on a cutting board. Slice it up and serve with your toppings of Parmigiano Reggiano, dried oregano, and chili flake.