HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL PEPPERONI PIZZA Recipe

Homemade Pepperoni pizzas put together & ready to be prepped for the freezer.

I don’t eat a lot of pizza … pizza was always Bob’s thing – I just went along with it. LOL

But, when I do get an urge to bite into pizza, this is the recipe I dig for ;-)

This pizza recipe comes from my November 1984 ‘Cuisine’ cooking magazine – it is my all-time favorite pizza recipe.

Bob loved my homemade pizzas :-D

And I have been hungering for it myself … so, I decided to spend all day in the kitchen today making homemade Pepperoni Pizzas to freeze:

Pepperoni Pizzas packaged, labeled, and headed for the freezer for future meals.

This recipe makes dough and sauce for one 12-inch regular pizza.

I am a lazy cook, so I added everything I wanted on my pizza (chopped green peppers & chopped mushrooms) – except the pepperoni and cheeses – to the sauce; it works best this way, for me ;-)

Since there is only one of me – and I am determined to scale back on how much my petite frame can comfortably and reasonably carry – I divided the dough into 4 pieces, for 4 individual pizzas. While I lose weight, I STILL LIKE TO EAT more than puffed rice crackers ;-)

HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL PEPPERONI PIZZA

==DOUGH: 1 teaspoon active dry Yeast * 2/3 cup warm Water (105 to 115-degrees) * 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil * ¾ teaspoon coarse Salt * 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups Flour * Vegetable Oil for bowl * Flour for dusting hands

Dissolve the yeast in the water, in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Stir oil, salt, and 1-1/2 cups of the flour into the yeast mixture to form a rough dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface – and knead for about 4 minutes; adding flour if necessary, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Lightly oil a large bowl & place dough in the bowl, turning to coat on all sides. Let rise, covered tightly in plastic wrap, in a warm, in a draft-free place until tripled in bulk – about 3 to 4 hours.

Punch dough down. Roll out on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin to a 12-inch circle, or shape into circles in round foil pans as shown, as follows: lightly flour hands front and back, and place dough in pan – gently pulling dough into a circle front the center out to the edges of the pan. If dough is too sticky, lightly dust hands gain and continue shaping: do not allow center to become too thin.

==TOMATO SAUCE: 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil * 2/3 cups sliced Onion * 1 teaspoon minced garlic * 1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) crushed Red Pepper * Large pinch of Sugar * 1 can (28-ounces) Tomatoes, drained and chopped * ½ cup dry White Wine * 2 teaspoons Tomato Paste * 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil * ½ teaspoon coarse Salt

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until rippling. Add onion, garlic, red pepper, & sugar; sauté, stirring constantly – 30 seconds. Add tomatoes & wine; reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened – about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil and salt.

==PEPPERONI PIZZA: Basic Pizza Dough * Tomato sauce * 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, plus additional for pan * Cornmeal for pan (optional) * 2 Tablespoons unsalted Butter * ½ teaspoon Garlic * 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 1-1/2 cups) * 1/3 cup thinly sliced Pepperoni * ¾ cup grated Mozzarella cheese * 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese * Coarse Salt * Fresh ground Black pepper * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley

Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as instructed; and set to rise.

Make Tomato Sauce:

Heat oven to 500-degrees. Oil a 12-inch pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired.

Melt butter in a heavy medium skillet over high heat – when foam subsides, add garlic; sauté, stirring constantly – 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl.

When dough has risen, complete the dough instructions.

Place dough in prepared pan; brush surface with 1 Tablespoon oil; spoon sauce evenly over the surface of the dough – leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange mushrooms and pepperoni over sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses, parsley, and salt & pepper to taste.

Bake until crust is golden brown – 15 to 18 minutes. Serve immediately.

**IF MAKING AHEAD IN ROUND FOIL PANS TO FREEZE – prepare foil pans while dough is rising:

Lining the round foil baking pans. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS - I do it because I am frugal and will use the pans over and over again.

Stacked pans: lined & ready to fill.

Prepare dough as instructed above – divide into 4 portions …

Pizza dough divided into fourths.

… shape, and par-bake at 450-degrees, for 4 to 5 minutes: just until dough is puffed and surface appears dry:

Pizza dough rounds formed with a lip.

Pizza crusts par-baking.

Let crust cool to room temperature, then top with sauce, cheeses, and topping of choice …

Par-baked pizza crusts cooling.

Mozzarella & Parmesan cheeses blended.

Pepperoni pizzas put together & ready to be prepped for the freezer.

TO AVOID FREEZER BURN: double wrap the prepared pizzas – either 2 layers of plastic wrap … or 1 layer of plastic wrap, and 1 layer of foil. Lay pizzas flat in the freezer and store for up to 2 months:

Pepperoni Pizzas packaged, labeled, and headed for the freezer for future meals.

TO BAKE FROZEN PIZZAS: Preheat oven to 500-degrees. Place frozen pizza on a lined sheet pan or pizza stone, and bake until crust is golden, and cheese is melted – about 10 minutes.**