Elevate Your Pizza Night: Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey, Ricotta, Olives, and Basil
If you’re looking to bring a gourmet touch to your homemade pizza nights, this recipe for Pepperoni Pizza drizzled with hot honey and adorned with ricotta, olives, and basil is a surefire way to impress. This recipe not only delivers on flavor but also offers a fun and rewarding DIY cooking experience. So roll up your sleeves, and let’s make some pizza magic!
Ingredients:
For the Pizza Dough:
- 512 grams (4 cups) 00 flour
- 12 grams (3 teaspoons) kosher salt
- 360 grams (1 1/2 cups) warm water
- 3 grams (1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
- 10 grams (just shy of 1 1/2 teaspoons) honey
For the Pizza Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
- 6 ounces tomato paste (1 can)
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
For the Toppings:
- Fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- Pepperoni
- Whole milk ricotta
- Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
- Hot honey
- Freshly grated parmiggiano reggiano
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil
Directions:
- Dough Preparation:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, whisk together flour and salt.
- In another bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and honey, and let it sit until foamy (~10 minutes).
- Combine yeast mixture with flour, mixing at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until dough pulls away from the bowl sides. It will be sticky.
- Knead on a floured surface for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (1.5 hours).
- Portion into 3 balls and refrigerate for 24-72 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before rolling.
- Sauce Cooking:
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste and seasonings, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
- Cool slightly, then incorporate fresh basil.
- Assembling and Cooking the Pizza:
- Preheat an outdoor pizza oven or your oven with a pizza stone to the highest setting (750-800℉ for outdoor, 500℉ for indoor).
- Roll dough on a floured surface to a 10-12” circle.
- On a floured peel, layer sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, ricotta, and olives.
- Cook in the oven for 2-2.5 minutes (outdoor) or 10-12 minutes (indoor), rotating every 30 seconds in the outdoor oven.
- Finish with a drizzle of hot honey, crushed red pepper, Parmesan, and fresh basil.
Nutritional Information:
- Calories: 350 kcal per serving
- Servings: 3 (10-12”) pizzas
Preparation Overview:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: Approximately 2 days (includes dough proofing)
Conclusion:
This Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey, Ricotta, Olives, and Basil recipe is more than just a meal; it’s an adventure in your kitchen that combines traditional Italian flavors with a modern twist. Whether for a family dinner or a special gathering, this pizza promises to deliver satisfaction and smiles around your table. Enjoy the fruits of your labor hot and fresh, right out of the oven – there’s truly nothing better!
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Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey, Ricotta, Olives, and Basil
- Total Time: 2 days
- Yield: 3 1x
Description
Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey, Ricotta, Olives, and Basil is my favorite pizza combination as of late! It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, creamy from the dollops of ricotta and mozzarella, and fresh from the basil! It uses my favorite 00 flour Neapolitan style pizza dough. Bonus points if you have a pizza oven, but you can also make this in a super hot oven!
Ingredients
For the pizza dough:
512 grams (4 cups) 00 flour
12 grams (3 teaspoons) kosher salt
360 grams (1 1/2 cups) warm water
3 grams (1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
10 grams (just shy of 1 1/2 teaspoons) honey (can also use sugar)
For the pizza sauce:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
6 ounces tomato paste (1 can)
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
For the pizza toppings:
Fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Pepperoni
Whole milk ricotta
Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
Hot honey
Freshly grated parmiggiano reggiano
Crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, whisk together the 00 flour and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Whisk together until combined, and let sit for 10 minutes until the surface becomes foamy. Once yeast mixture is foamy, pour into the bowl of the stand mixer with the flour/salt mixture. Start mixer on low speed, then increase once the dough comes together. Mix on medium to medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (it will be sticky).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead for 2-3 minutes until dough comes together into a smooth dough. Form into a ball and place in an bowl lightly coated with olive oil. Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours. Dough should be doubled in size.
Once dough has risen, portion into 3 dough balls (should weigh about 230-280 grams a piece). Place each dough ball in a sealed container or in one large container several inches apart. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours to proof, but preferably 48 or 72 hours for best results. Once ready to make the pizza, let the dough balls sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once sauce has simmered, let cool for several minutes, then stir in the fresh basil.
Once you’re ready to make the pizza, preheat your outdoor pizza oven until it reaches 750-800℉, or preheat your oven as hot as it will go (usually 500℉). If you’re using an oven, once it comes to temperature, place a pizza stone in the oven and let it preheat for 10-20 minutes. Lightly flour your countertop with 00 flour. Once dough balls have come to room temperature, place one on the floured surface and roll out to a 10-12” circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Generously flour your pizza peel with flour or semolina to help prevent sticking.
Place the rolled out dough on the peel. Start by adding a spoonful of the sauce, spreading it out almost to the edges with the back of a spoon. Next, add the sliced mozzarella, pepperoni, dollops of ricotta, and halved olives. Using the pizza peel, launch the pizza into the outdoor pizza oven, or onto the pizza stone. Cooking time will vary, but the pizza should cook in the outdoor oven in about 2 – 2 1/2 minutes. Turn the pizza every 30 seconds using the peel and a long spatula to help the pizza evenly cook. The pizza should cook in the indoor oven in about 10-12 minutes, but keep an eye on it.
Once pizza is cooked, drizzle with hot honey, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Finish with a handful of fresh basil leaves. Enjoy hot!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: 350 kcal