Triple Pepper Pizza

This fluffy “grandma-style” pizza brings a powerful pop of pepper flavor with spicy pepperoni, sharp green peppers and zippy pepperoncini, all loaded up together with plenty of cheese and sauce. The matte black interior base of our enameled cast iron Bread Oven acts like a pizza stone, trapping and evenly distributing heat for a crunchy, golden pizza crust.

Crust

1/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Triple Pepper Pizza

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1 pound low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, divided

1 cup tomato sauce, divided

4 ounces pepperoni, thinly sliced, divided

1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 pickled pepperoncini peppers, sliced

For the crust:

In a small mixing bowl, add water and yeast. Stir to combine. Let stand, until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add flour and salt. Mix on medium-low speed briefly to combine. Add yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add water and olive oil and mix on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, knead dough on a floured work surface for about 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and place in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

For the pizza:

Position oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 500°F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the base of the Bread Oven.

Divide dough in half. Working with one half of the dough (keep other half covered or refrigerate for later use), gently stretch the dough into the edges and corners of the pan until it starts to shrink back and won’t stretch any further. Cover with lid and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Gently press the dough down with fingers to release some larger air bubbles. Top the dough with 1 ounce of the pepperoni. Top with 1/2 of the cheese, pressing into dough to the edges of the pan. Dollop 1/2 cup sauce over the surface of the pizza, making an “X” pattern. Top the sauce with another 1 ounce of the pepperoni and 1/2 of the green bell pepper. Place lid over pizza and bake covered in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove lid and bake about 12-15 minutes longer, until crust is golden-brown and cheese is melted. Remove Bread Oven from the oven and top pizza with half of the pepperoncini. Remove the pizza and place on a cutting board. Cool slightly before slicing. Repeat to make second pizza with remaining dough and toppings.