New York Style Pepperoni Pizza

Joe's has nothing on this New York style pepperoni pizza recipe! Made with an easy overnight pizza dough, this pizza crust has an incredible depth of flavor, making it the perfect vessel for fresh mozzarella, rich pizza sauce, and of course pepperoni!

This post is sponsored by Baker's Secret. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Sloane's Table possible! 

I've lived in New York City for over two years now, and have had my fair share of New York pizza. As a pizza lover and a baker, I know a thing or two about what makes a great pizza.

Since this is a New York style pizza, it must have a thin, yet sturdy crust with soft, airy edges. And it's toppings must stay in tact as it's folded in half - aka the proper way to eat a slice!

This pepperoni pizza recipe checks all the boxes in my opinion, and to top it all off it's incredibly easy to make! No need to travel to NYC whenever you're craving a slice😉.

For more savory bakes, try New York Style Bagels, Salted Honey Milk Bread Rolls, and Salted Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip.

Why you'll love this New York style pepperoni pizza recipe

• Overnight Pizza Dough: Allowing the dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge not only gives the crust a more robust flavor but also means that the recipe is prepped for the next day!
• Quick Assembly & Bake Time: Whip the dough up the night before, and the next day assemble the pizza and bake it off all in less than 15 minutes. Once you see how simple homemade pizza is, you'll be doing pizza night every week!
• Perfect Cheese to Sauce Ratio: Before you look at the process photos and think "that's not enough sauce!" trust me when I say that a little goes a long way. I'm someone who LOVES extra sauce/condiments on anything and everything. But when it comes to pizza, there is a delicate ratio of cheese to sauce to ensure the crust bakes up crisp but you also taste some sauce in every bite.
• Customizable Toppings: Fresh mozzarella, pizza sauce, and pepperoni will always be a classic that everyone loves, but the beauty of homemade pizza is that the toppings are completely customizable! Add your favorite toppings, such as bell peppers, black olives, sausage, or mushrooms. You can also add some finishing touches, like fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes!

Ingredient Notes

• Yeast: Since this dough requires a slow, cold rise, be sure to use active dry yeast rather than rapid rise or instant yeast.
• Flour: Use a high quality unbleached bread flour.
• Sugar: A small amount of sugar will help activate the yeast and give the crust a deep golden color.
• Salt: Add kosher or fine sea salt to amplify the flavors of each ingredient in the dough.
• Olive Oil: A touch of olive oil is added to the doug.
• Mozzarella Cheese: For best flavor and optimal cheese melt, get a fresh mozzarella ball and grate it yourself.
• Pizza Sauce: I highly recommend using a pasta sauce you love. My go-to is Rao's marinara!
• Pepperoni: Use your favorite pepperoni! I personally love the Whole Foods 365 pepperoni.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this New York style pepperoni pizza recipe with a homemade pizza dough! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Activate the yeast. In a glass measuring cup, combine the warm water and yeast. Set aside for about 5 minutes to activate.

STEP 2: Combine remaining ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and olive oil. 

STEP 3: Add water yeast mixture. Add the water yeast mixture and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes or until a smooth dough forms.

STEP 4: Rest the dough. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. 

STEP 5: Shape dough into taut ball. Turn the dough out onto a non-floured surface and shape into a smooth, taut ball by pulling the dough toward you and twisting at the same time. 

STEP 6: Proof overnight. Transfer the dough to a medium bowl greased with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for the dough to proof overnight or up to 36 hours. 

STEP 7: Stretch out the dough. Remove dough from the fridge and set out at room temperature 2 hours before baking. About 30 minutes before assembling the pizza, preheat the oven to 550 degrees F. Place the dough on a clean surface and gently stretch it out to nearly 14 inches, keeping an even crust around the edges.

STEP 8: Transfer to pizza steel. Once it's nearly there, transfer it to the Baker's Secret 14" Steel Pizza Crisper and finish stretching it out to the edges. 

STEP 9: Assemble the pizza. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella evenly all over the dough, then dollop the pizza sauce on top. 

STEP 10: Add toppings & bake. Add pepperoni slices or any other toppings as desired. Bake the pizza for about 6 minutes or until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese is evenly melted. Cut the pizza into 8 slices and enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

• Stretch the dough out by hand. Put your rolling pin away! New York style pizza is traditionally hand tossed, and since this pizza dough rises overnight in the fridge, the long rest time and cold temperature makes it incredibly easy to stretch out.
• Add the cheese, then the sauce. No one likes a soggy pizza crust! To avoid this, add the grated mozzarella all over the dough, then dollop the sauce on top. This also ensures that none of the toppings slide off the crust when you pull out a hot slice!
• Preheat the oven at least 30 minutes in advance. It will take a little while for the oven to reach 550 degrees F and just ensure that the entire oven is evenly heated, it's best to let it sit at that temperature for a few minutes before baking the pizza.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x