Welcome to Pepper Ronnie

Welcome to Pepper Ronnie! Just about everyone loves a pizza, so we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about pepperoni pizza, from the history, the popularity, and the different types of pepperoni pizza available.

What is Pepperoni?

Pepperoni is a type of Italian Salami, lightly spiced. Traditionally it is red in colour and sliced thinly in round pieces. These thin slices make a popular pizza topping but is sometimes used in sandwiches as well.

A history of Pepperoni Pizza

The pizza itself originates from Italy, more specifically Naples.
Originally, pizzas were made with just dough and tomato sauce, no cheese!
The pizza industry is worth $30 billion in the United States each year.
Pizza can also be known as Pie.
We consume almost 115,000 tonnes of pepperoni per year.

The popularity of Pepperoni Pizza

Of all orders, 36% are pepperoni pizzas.
Pepperoni on Pizza is the most popular topping in the United States.

In the US Super Bowl week, more pizza is consumed than any other time of the year, and of all of these 80% are pepperoni pizzas!

A simple Pepperoni Pizza recipe

Pepperoni Pizza is very easy to make, and you don’t need much in the way of cooking skills either, so it’s perfect for beginners!

The preparation time for this recipe is about 15-45 minutes depending on the method used.

Ingredients

To make the base (or the dough) you’ll need the following:

1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of yeast (1/2 packet)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sugar or sweetener
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup of water

or, if you want to be quick and cheap…

1 pre-made pizza base

For the topping you will need the following, but remember you can experiment with different toppings and cheeses:

1 tube of tomato purée
250g grated cheddar or other cheese of your choice
6-10 large pepperoni slices

Preparing

First, pre-heat your oven to about 180-190 degrees Celsius (350-375 deg F) or gas mark 6.

If you’re making your own dough:

Combine all the ingredients for the dough in a bowl and mix thoroughly until the mixture does not stick to the bowl.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
Roll the dough into a ball and begin kneading the dough for about 10 minutes.

How do I knead the dough?

Kneading is easy but it requires a bit of elbow grease. Lightly flour the work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Now we need to stretch and press the dough with the heel of your hand (the bit near your wrist). When it’s long enough, fold it over and rotate it 90 degrees. Repeat this process for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, and elastic.

Now leave in a bowl for 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
Using a baking tray or pizza tray, lightly mist the tray with cooking spray (or a light brush of oil).
Lay out the pizza dough evenly on the tray.
Prick the dough with a fork a dozen times all over.
Now fold the edges and overlap by about 1cm to make a nice crusty edge.

If you’re using a pre-made base, simply move onto the topping:

Spread the tomato purée over the base, spreading evenly and at a thickness of your choice (but not too thick).
Add your grated cheese all over to a thickness of your choice.
Now add the pepperoni slices evenly over the top of the cheese.

Cooking

Cook the pizza on the middle shelf for 18-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Check out our social profiles for more pepperoni pizza facts, recipes and more fun!