Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey

Classic pepperoni pizza gets a sweet kick of flavor with a homemade hot honey drizzle in this delicious recipe from Dan Pelosi.  The simple hot honey recipe makes about 1 cup, so there’s enough for at least a few pies as well as extra for drizzling over fried chicken or fruit at home the next day. The combination of pepperoni and hot honey hits all the right sweet and savory notes, upgrading a childhood favorite into a classic pie all ages will love. Plus, the even heat distribution of the stoneware Pizza Stone means you get a crisp, chewy crust in minutes.

1 cup honey

3 tablespoons red pepper chili flakes

1 recipe Easy Pizza Dough

1 cup Easy Pizza Sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup uncured pepperoni slices

Place the honey and red pepper chili flakes in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, reducing the heat as needed to keep it at a low simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the honey through a strainer into a bowl to remove the chili flakes. Cool the hot honey to room temperature for serving and set aside.

Place the pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F, with the stone inside.

On a piece of flour-dusted parchment paper, form the dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Spread pizza sauce evenly across the rolled-out pizza dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the perimeter. Sprinkle mozzarella over the sauce then top with the pepperoni.

Using the parchment paper, place the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 4 minutes, then open the oven to remove the piece of parchment from under the pizza. Cook the pizza until the crust if browned and cheese is bubbly, about 6-8 minutes longer.

Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. Allow pizza to cool slightly before slicing with a pizza cutter, chef’s knife or sharp kitchen shears. Serve with the hot honey on the side to drizzle over the pizza.