Pizza night doesn't have to mean waiting for delivery! This Easy Homemade Pepperoni Pizza starts with store-bought pizza dough and prepared sauce, then piles on fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. It's a simple weeknight dinner with a crispy crust, plenty of cheesy goodness, and all the fun of homemade pizza without making everything from scratch.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Making pizza at home can be surprisingly easy, and a few convenient shortcuts make it totally doable on a busy weeknight. Here are just a few reasons this recipe belongs in your dinner rotation.
- Simple ingredients. Store-bought pizza dough and prepared sauce keep the ingredient list manageable while fresh toppings add plenty of flavor.
- Quick and easy. While the oven and pizza stone preheat, you can prep the toppings and assemble the pizza so there's very little downtime.
- Better than delivery. You get a hot, cheesy pizza, made your way, with a crisp crust straight from your oven.
- Easy to customize. Keep it classic with pepperoni or pile on your family's favorite meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
- Family-friendly. Homemade pizza night is a fun dinner everyone can enjoy, and kids can even help add the toppings.
- Perfect for busy weeknights. Using prepared dough and sauce gives you all the fun and flavor of homemade pizza without spending hours in the kitchen.
Ingredients and Their Role in the Pizza
You don't need to make dough or sauce from scratch to create one of the best parts of pizza night at home. A handful of convenient ingredients and fresh toppings make this recipe for homemade pepperoni pizza easy enough for any night of the week. This is what you'll need:
- Pizza dough - Store-bought dough is the ultimate shortcut and bakes into a crisp, chewy crust.
- Cornmeal - Helps prevent the dough from sticking to the pizza peel and makes it easier to slide onto the hot pizza stone.
- Olive oil - Brushed over the dough to add flavor and help create a golden crust.
- Pizza sauce or marinara - Adds rich tomato flavor without the extra work of making sauce from scratch. Your favorite pasta sauce works too.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese - Melts into creamy, cheesy goodness across the top of the pizza.
- Tomato - Adds fresh tomato flavor and a pop of color.
- Pepperoni - Gives this classic pizza its smoky, savory flavor and slightly crisp edges.
- Fresh basil - Adds fresh, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the tomato and cheese.
- Parmesan cheese - Brings a salty, nutty finish to the pizza.
- Garnishes - Extra basil and Parmesan finish the pizza, while crushed red pepper flakes add a kick of heat if you like things spicy.
Ingredient Notes
One of the great things about homemade pizza is how easy it is to work with what you have. Here are a few tips for choosing the main ingredients.
Pizza Dough
Refrigerated store-bought pizza dough makes pizza night so much easier. If the dough is cold, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before shaping it. Slightly warmer dough is easier to stretch and less likely to spring back.
Pepperoni
Regular sliced pepperoni is perfect for a classic pizza, and thinner slices will get nice and crisp around the edges as they bake.
Pizza Sauce
Use your favorite store-bought pizza sauce, marinara, or pasta sauce. Just don't add too much. A thin, even layer gives you plenty of tomato flavor without making the crust soggy.
Mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella gives this pizza a creamy texture and wonderful flavor. Because it contains more moisture than low-moisture mozzarella, pat the slices dry with paper towels before adding them to the pizza.
Equipment Needed
You don't need a lot of special equipment to make pizza at home, but these kitchen tools can make the process easier and help you get a crispy, evenly baked crust.
- Pizza stone - Holds plenty of heat and helps the bottom of the crust cook quickly so it gets crisp and golden.
- Pizza peel - Makes it much easier and safer to transfer the assembled pizza onto the hot stone and remove it after baking.
- Pizza wheel - Quickly cuts the finished pizza into clean slices.
Tip: Don't have a pizza stone? You can still make homemade pizza using a pizza pan or sturdy baking sheet. The crust may have a slightly different texture, but it will still be delicious.
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza with Store-Bought Dough
Making homemade pepperoni pizza is simple when you start with prepared dough and sauce. Here's what to do:
Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 500°F. Let the stone heat for about 20 minutes.
- Roll out dough on a flat surface dusted with cornmeal. I like to do it on my large cutting board. Brush olive oil over dough.
- Spread marinara over the top of the oil leaving ½" around the edges to avoid spilling over.
- Lay sliced mozzarella on top. Make sure to dab cheese with paper towel to avoid extra moisture on pizza. Scatter chopped tomatoes on top then sprinkle with fresh basil.
- Add pepperoni on top of the other fillings.
- Grate a little Parmesan on top. At this point, I like to pinch the edges a little to give the crust a little edge.
- Slide the pizza from your pizza peel or cutting board onto the hot pizza stone.
- Bake the pizza at 500°F for about 12 minutes or until the crust is brown and crusty and the cheese is bubbly.
Add an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, some fresh basil leaves, and serve while it's piping hot. To round out dinner, add a Caesar salad and a side of garlic bread. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips for Success
Homemade pizza is pretty forgiving, but a few simple tricks can make the difference between a good pizza and a great one. Keep these tips in mind for an easy transfer, crispy crust, and perfectly melted toppings.
- Let cold dough warm up. Refrigerated pizza dough is much easier to stretch after sitting at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Give stubborn dough a rest. If the dough keeps shrinking back while you're shaping it, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This gives the gluten time to relax so the dough will stretch more easily.
- Preheat the pizza stone. Give the stone at least 20 minutes to get thoroughly hot. Starting the pizza on a hot surface is key to a crisp bottom crust.
- Don't use too much sauce. A thin, even layer is all you need. Too much sauce can make the crust soggy.
- Remove excess moisture. Pat fresh mozzarella and tomatoes dry with paper towels before adding them to the pizza.
- Don't overload the toppings. It's tempting to pile everything on, but too many toppings can weigh down the dough and prevent the crust from getting crisp.
- Leave a border. Keep the sauce and toppings about ½ inch from the edge so they don't bubble over and you get a nicely formed crust.
- Check for sticking. Give the peel a gentle shake before transferring the pizza to make sure it slides easily. Add a little more cornmeal underneath any spots that stick.
- Work quickly once the dough is on the peel. The longer topped dough sits on the peel, the more likely it is to stick.
- Let the pizza rest before slicing. Give it a couple of minutes after it comes out of the oven so the cheese can settle and is less likely to slide off when you cut it.
Recipe Variations to Make It Your Own
One of the best things about homemade pizza is making it exactly the way you like it. Keep the classic pepperoni or mix and match toppings to create your family's perfect pizza.
- Cheese: Replace the fresh mozzarella with low-moisture mozzarella, provolone, fontina, or your favorite pizza cheese blend.
- Meat: Add cooked Italian sausage, bacon, ham, salami, meatballs, or ground beef along with or instead of the pepperoni.
- Vegetables: Top with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, black olives, spinach, jalapeños, or artichoke hearts.
- Pepperoni: Swap regular pepperoni for turkey pepperoni.
- Sauce: Change up the flavor with pesto, Alfredo sauce, or garlic and olive oil instead of tomato sauce.
- Spicy: Add sliced jalapeños or crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Extra cheesy: Add dollops of ricotta or sprinkle on extra Parmesan before baking.
- Individual pizzas: Divide the dough into smaller portions and let everyone add their favorite toppings to create their own personal pizza.
What to Serve with Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni pizza can certainly be dinner all by itself, but adding a simple side makes it a complete weeknight meal. Keep things easy with something fresh or something you can prepare while the pizza bakes.
A simple green salad or Caesar salad is a classic choice that balances the rich cheese and pepperoni. Some roasted broccoli, asparagus, or air-fried parmesan zucchini are easy vegetable sides, while garlic bread is always a crowd-pleaser. Fresh fruit or a simple honeydew and peach fruit salad is another quick option, especially when you're serving pizza to the whole family.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Leftover pizza is easy to save for another meal, and reheating it the right way will help bring back that delicious crispy crust.
Storing: Let the pizza cool completely, then place the slices in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Place cooled pizza slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Wrap the individual slices or transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment paper between them. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: For a crispy crust, reheat individual slices in an air fryer at 350°F for about 3 to 5 minutes or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until the bottom is crisp and the cheese is hot. To reheat several slices at once, place them on a baking sheet and warm in a 375°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Have questions?
Scroll down below the recipe card to find frequently asked questions about pizza and this recipe.
More Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes
When busy nights call for dinner without a lot of fuss, these quick and easy meals make getting something delicious on the table a whole lot simpler.
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan has crispy breaded chicken topped with marinara and plenty of melted cheese.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza is an easy pizza night favorite loaded with barbecue chicken and cheese.
- BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza turns savory pulled pork into a delicious homemade pizza.
- Italian Sausage Tortellini combines cheesy tortellini and savory sausage for an easy skillet dinner.
- Taco Pasta Skillet brings taco night and pasta night together in one easy family dinner.
Find lots of quick & easy recipes and pizza recipes here on 2CM!
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Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough, from bakery (or use refrigerated or frozen pizza crust)
- 1 Tablespoon cornmeal to prevent sticking
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup marinara you can use any of your favorite jarred pasta sauces
- 4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced thin
- 1 tomato sliced or chopped
- 20-25 slices pepperoni
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Garnish: fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place your pizza stone in a cold oven and preheat for 20 minutes at 500°F.
- While stone is heating, roll out your pizza crust on a cutting board or countertop that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal, to a size that will fit your stone.
- Place the rolled out pizza dough on a pizza peel (or a board with no slides so that pizza can slide off onto hot stone).
- Brush the dough with olive oil then spread marinara sauce to within ½″ of edge. (Make sure you keep that ½″ edge with all ingredients to prevent toppings bubbling over the side as well as giving you a place to more easily handle the finished pizza)
- Place sliced mozzarella on top of sauce, top with chopped tomatoes, basil leaves, and pepperoni slices then finish with a topping of Parmesan cheese.
- Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and return to oven. Bake for about 12-15 minutes depending on thickness of toppings or until bottom is crisp and top is bubbling.
- Slide off the stone onto a wooden cutting board and garnish with more basil leaves.
- Cut with pizza wheel and serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes.
Notes
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Nutrition
Can I use store-bought pizza dough?
Absolutely! Store-bought dough is one of the reasons this recipe is so easy. Refrigerated or fresh pizza dough from the grocery store or your local pizzeria works well.
Want to save this recipe?
I'll email this recipe to you & you can come back to it when you're ready. Plus you'll get delicious seasonal recipes from me a couple times a month!
Should pizza dough be at room temperature before using it?
It doesn't have to be completely at room temperature, but allowing refrigerated dough to sit out for about 20 to 30 minutes makes it much easier to stretch and shape.
Why does my pizza dough keep shrinking when I stretch it?
If the dough springs back every time you stretch it, the gluten probably needs time to relax. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then try again.
Do I have to use a pizza stone?
No. A pizza stone helps create a crisp bottom crust, but you can also bake the pizza on a pizza pan or sturdy baking sheet.
Can I use shredded mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella?
Yes. Low-moisture shredded mozzarella melts beautifully and contains less water than fresh mozzarella, which can actually make it easier to get a crisp pizza.
Why Use Cornmeal for Pizza?
A light coating of cornmeal helps keep raw pizza dough from sticking to the pizza peel, making it much easier to slide the assembled pizza onto the hot stone. It also adds a little texture to the bottom of the crust.
How do I keep homemade pizza from getting soggy?
Start with a thoroughly preheated oven and pizza stone, use a light hand with the sauce and toppings, and remove excess moisture from fresh mozzarella and tomatoes before adding them.
What temperature is best for homemade pizza?
A hot oven produces the best crust. This pizza bakes at 500°F so the dough cooks quickly and becomes crisp and golden while the cheese melts.
Can I assemble the pizza ahead of time?
It's better not to assemble the entire pizza too far in advance because the sauce and toppings can add moisture to the raw dough and make it soggy. Instead, prep the toppings ahead of time and refrigerate them separately. When you're ready for dinner, all you have to do is shape, top, and bake the pizza.
This post has been updated with new photos and more tips and variations for creating the best pizza. It was first published on February 6, 2014.
