Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey
On January 22, 2024
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Spicy pepperoni and melty mozzarella with rich sauce on a perfectly crispy crust, all topped with hot honey, this Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza is a classic with a bang.
Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza
There’s a reason pepperoni pizza is on every pizza menu, and that’s because it’s a true classic. Sizzling, spicy slices of pepperoni and gooey, melted mozzarella are a match made in pizza heaven. Paired with a rich, indulgent tomato sauce on top of a Neapolitan crust that’s soft and chewy inside with a crispy exterior, this pie has it all. And if that wasn’t enough, we’re going to bring some sticky, sweet heat with my secret ingredient: hot honey.
Forget delivery and save yourself a trip to that fancy pizza place. I’m going to teach you everything you need to make mouth-watering, pizzeria worthy, hot honey pepperoni pizza right at home.
Homemade Dough for Pizza
If you’re already making your own backyard pizza, then you’re ready to make your own dough as well. Making your own pizza from scratch from start to finish is super satisfying, and I’ve got just the dough recipe for you. My Neapolitan Pizza Dough is just 4 ingredients, and only takes a few minutes of hands-on prepping. You can use a premade pizza dough from the store as well. Just remember, you get to know exactly what you’re eating when you make your own dough at home.
One thing to keep in mind is homemade dough typically takes a day or more to ferment. You want to give this recipe at least 24 hours, and you can even go up to 72 hours to let the flavors and air bubbles develop. You don’t have to do any extra work during this time, but you will want to make it ahead so it’s ready to go when you fire up your oven.
Toppings for Pepperoni Pizza
One of the best parts of making your own pizza is the ability to choose exactly what goes on it. Here are my go-to toppings when I’m making pepperoni pizza. Let me know in the comments what some of your unique favorites are.
- Sauce. If you’re looking for a rich, indulgent pizza sauce that’s easy to make, look no further than my 4 Ingredient Pizza Sauce. You can put it together in less time than it takes to run to the store for a jar of sauce, and it’s really fun to make.
- Cheese. Nothing completes a pepperoni pizza quite like some rich, melty mozzarella cheese. I like to go with some fresh mozzarella shredded by hand. It’s going to cost a little more than a bag of pre-shredded cheese from the store, but this pizza doesn’t take much. I say splurge here.
- Pepperoni. I like to use medium sized pepperoni slices, but you can use any type you like. I prefer the medium sized because you still get the cupping that comes with the smaller, thicker slices, without sacrificing any of the crispy edges.
- Optional extras. This recipe is based on my favorite pizza on the menu at Pizza Cart in Taste Test Todd’s hometown. They put some freshly minced garlic on before baking, and so do I. I also bring some heat with both red pepper flakes and AR’s Hot-Mild Southern Honey. These are all completely optional, but totally worth it.
Tips for Making the Best Pizza
If you want to serve pies worthy of a pizzeria menu, follow these simple tips. You’ll be making incredible pizzas sure to please everyone:
- Make it from scratch. The only thing more rewarding than making your own pizza is making it completely from scratch. Yes, you can use store-bought dough and sauce, but where’s the fun in that? For this recipe I’m using my Neapolitan Pizza Dough and 4 Ingredient Pizza Sauce. They’re just 4 ingredients each, and you’ll feel like you run your own pizza joint.
- Heat it up. I love to heat up my pepperoni pizzas. Yes, the pepperoni itself has some spiciness, but this recipe has some options to take it to another level. You can sprinkle on some red pepper flakes, but the real heat secret is AR’s Hot-Mild Southern Honey. I drizzle a little of this on for a sweet heat that can’t be beat. It’s also available in Hot-Hot if you really want to get crazy.
- Cool it down. Make sure you give your pizza a few minutes to rest once you pull it out of your pizza oven. If you try to slice it too early, you’re going to end up with a lot of your ooey-gooey mozzarella stuck to your pizza cutter instead of in your mouth.
- Use what you’ve got. If you don’t have a pizza oven, that’s okay. This recipe will work just fine in a conventional kitchen oven. Bake it at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or until your cheese starts to bubble, and your crust is a gorgeous golden brown. If you want to mimic the crispy, pizza oven crust, you can invest in a pizza stone.
How to Make Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza
- Stretch and sauce. Once you’ve either made your dough and sauce or purchased them, it’s time to stretch your dough. Make sure your pizza peel has a liberal coating of flour, and then stretch your dough onto it. Then, spoon your sauce on your dough, circling outward until you have a nice, even layer.
- Cheese and pepperoni. Next up, sprinkle your cheese onto your sauce. I like to hand shred some fresh mozzarella, but you can use pre-shredded as well. You want a nice layer for that epic cheese pull. Then, top your cheese with a single layer of sliced pepperoni. I like to sprinkle some minced garlic at this time, but that’s totally optional.
- Oil and salt. Add a drizzle of olive oil on your pizza and then sprinkle on some Kosher salt. The olive oil will help give some crispy texture to your toppings, and both will bring out the yummy flavors.
- Bake. Once your pizza oven is in the 600-650 degrees F range, shimmy your pizza off your peel. Then, rotate your pizza 90 degrees every 1-2 minutes so it bakes evenly all the way around. This is the key to crispy crust with those beautiful leopard spots.
- Rest, slice, and serve. Once your pizza is done baking, give it 2-5 minutes to cool before slicing. I like to drizzle on some AR’s Hot-Mild Southern Honey and sprinkle some red pepper flakes before slicing. This is also totally optional, but you’re not going to want to miss out on the sweet, spicy heat it adds.
More Recipes for Delicious Pizza
I’ve got you covered with recipes for every pizza preference at your next big backyard get-together. Check out some of the awesome pizza recipes available for you to try in the Hey Grill Hey app:
- Backyard BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Margherita Pizza
- Dutch Oven Pizza with Pear, Brie, and Porsciutto
- Thai Grilled Chicken Pizza
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Wood Fired Pizza with Red Pesto and Grilled Chicken
Try them all at your next pizza party. You can use my Homemade Grilled Pizza Dough on your grill, or my Neapolitan Pizza Dough in your pizza oven for pies worthy of a real pizzeria. And of course, neither would be complete without my 4 Ingredient Pizza Sauce.
Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza Recipe
Forget delivery, fire up the oven and make your own pizza. If you’re ready to learn all the ins and outs of making your own pizza at home, head on over to The Grill Squad. Pizza master Papa Jack Carlisle joins me to teach you all the tips and tricks for making dough, sauce, and plenty of topping combinations.
If you enjoyed making this recipe, be sure to give it a 5 star rating. Don’t forget to follow Hey Grill Hey on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, so you never miss another recipe release or how-to video.
Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients
- 4 8 ounce balls Neapolitan Pizza Dough
- 1 cup fresh tomato sauce
- 16 ounces mozzarella shredded
- 1 cup pepperoni sliced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Optional Toppings
- 1 Tablespoon hot honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Stretch and sauce. Stretch your dough onto a well floured pizza peel. Spoon your sauce onto your dough, circling out until you have a nice, even layer.4 8 ounce balls Neapolitan Pizza Dough, 1 cup fresh tomato sauce
- Cheese and pepperoni. Sprinkle a thick layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, and then top it with a single layer of pepperoni slices. Optionally, sprinkle on some minced garlic as well.16 ounces mozzarella, 1 cup pepperoni, 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Oil and salt. Drizzle olive oil on your pizza and then sprinkle some Kosher salt.1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Bake. Slide your pizza into your oven. Bake at 600-650 degrees F, rotating every 1-2 minutes.
- Rest, slice, and serve. After removing your pizza from the oven, allow it to cool for 2-5 minutes. Slice, sprinkle on red pepper flakes, drizzle hot honey, and enjoy.1 Tablespoon hot honey, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
