Basil Ricotta Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza
Basil Ricotta Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough (Pre-made)
- 1 cold ferment pizza dough, aged 5 days in refrigerator, brought to room temperature
For the Pizza Sauce
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Toppings
- 10 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/2 pound pepperoni log, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, as needed
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, scooped into a ziploc bag with a small corner cut
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, as needed
- 2 tablespoons hot honey, for drizzling, as needed
For Assembly
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting, as needed
- 2 tablespoons semolina flour, for dusting pizza peel, as needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for crust, as needed
Instructions
- 1
Bring the cold ferment pizza dough to room temperature by letting it sit out for 4-5 hours before baking. This is crucial for proper stretching.
⏱️ 240 min
- 2
Prepare the pizza sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and granulated sugar. Stir well and set aside.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Grate the low moisture mozzarella cheese. For best results, grate it yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Thinly slice the pepperoni log using a food processor or a sharp knife. Aim for very thin slices to achieve crispy, cupped pepperonis.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
Prepare the ricotta for piping: Scoop the ricotta cheese into a ziploc bag. Snip a small corner off the bag to create a piping bag.
⏱️ 2 min
- 6
Preheat your oven to 550°F with a pizza steel inside. Allow it to preheat for at least 45 minutes to ensure the steel is thoroughly hot.
⏱️ 45 min•🌡️ 550
- 7
Generously flour your work surface with all-purpose flour. Carefully flip the room-temperature pizza dough out of its container onto the floured surface.
⏱️ 1 min
- 8
Lightly flour the entire surface of the dough to prevent it from sticking or ripping during stretching. Using your fingertips, gently press down on the dough, leaving a 1/2 to 1-inch border untouched to form the crust. Push the air out of the rest of the dough.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Once the dough is slightly larger than your hand, flip it over and repeat the finger-forming and air-pushing on the other side. Pick up the dough and gently shake off any excess flour.
⏱️ 2 min
- 10
Stretch the dough by holding it on your knuckles and letting gravity do most of the work. Continuously move the dough around, allowing it to stretch out. Identify any thin spots and move away from them, focusing on stretching the thicker areas to create an even thickness.
⏱️ 3 min
- 11
Lightly dust a pizza peel with semolina flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Once the dough is stretched to your desired size (approximately 12-14 inches), carefully transfer it onto the semolina-dusted pizza peel.
⏱️ 1 min
- 12
Spread about 1/2 cup of the prepared pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a border for the crust. Grate Pecorino Romano cheese directly over the sauce.
⏱️ 1 min
- 13
Layer the grated low moisture mozzarella cheese over the Pecorino Romano. Evenly distribute the freshly sliced pepperoni over the mozzarella.
⏱️ 1 min
- 14
Carefully slide the assembled pizza onto the preheated pizza steel in the oven. If the pizza is misplaced, let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then reposition it with the pizza peel.
⏱️ 1 min•🌡️ 550
- 15
Bake the pizza for about 7 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly charred in spots. While baking, prepare a wire rack to place the cooked pizza on to prevent the bottom from becoming soggy.
⏱️ 7 min•🌡️ 550
- 16
Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven and immediately transfer it to the wire rack. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil generously over the crust.
⏱️ 1 min
- 17
Pipe dollops of ricotta cheese onto the pizza using the prepared ziploc bag. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the pizza. Grate Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza.
⏱️ 2 min - 18
Finally, drizzle hot honey over the entire pizza. Slice and serve immediately.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Basil Ricotta Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza
For the Pizza Dough (Pre-made)
- 1 cold ferment pizza dough, aged 5 days in refrigerator, brought to room temperature
For the Pizza Sauce
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Toppings
- 10 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/2 pound pepperoni log, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, as needed
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, scooped into a ziploc bag with a small corner cut
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, as needed
- 2 tablespoons hot honey, for drizzling, as needed
For Assembly
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting, as needed
- 2 tablespoons semolina flour, for dusting pizza peel, as needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for crust, as needed
Instructions
- 1
Bring the cold ferment pizza dough to room temperature by letting it sit out for 4-5 hours before baking. This is crucial for proper stretching.
⏱️ 240 min - 2
Prepare the pizza sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and granulated sugar. Stir well and set aside.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Grate the low moisture mozzarella cheese. For best results, grate it yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Thinly slice the pepperoni log using a food processor or a sharp knife. Aim for very thin slices to achieve crispy, cupped pepperonis.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
Prepare the ricotta for piping: Scoop the ricotta cheese into a ziploc bag. Snip a small corner off the bag to create a piping bag.
⏱️ 2 min - 6
Preheat your oven to 550°F with a pizza steel inside. Allow it to preheat for at least 45 minutes to ensure the steel is thoroughly hot.
⏱️ 45 min•🌡️ 550 - 7
Generously flour your work surface with all-purpose flour. Carefully flip the room-temperature pizza dough out of its container onto the floured surface.
⏱️ 1 min - 8
Lightly flour the entire surface of the dough to prevent it from sticking or ripping during stretching. Using your fingertips, gently press down on the dough, leaving a 1/2 to 1-inch border untouched to form the crust. Push the air out of the rest of the dough.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Once the dough is slightly larger than your hand, flip it over and repeat the finger-forming and air-pushing on the other side. Pick up the dough and gently shake off any excess flour.
⏱️ 2 min - 10
Stretch the dough by holding it on your knuckles and letting gravity do most of the work. Continuously move the dough around, allowing it to stretch out. Identify any thin spots and move away from them, focusing on stretching the thicker areas to create an even thickness.
⏱️ 3 min - 11
Lightly dust a pizza peel with semolina flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Once the dough is stretched to your desired size (approximately 12-14 inches), carefully transfer it onto the semolina-dusted pizza peel.
⏱️ 1 min - 12
Spread about 1/2 cup of the prepared pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a border for the crust. Grate Pecorino Romano cheese directly over the sauce.
⏱️ 1 min - 13
Layer the grated low moisture mozzarella cheese over the Pecorino Romano. Evenly distribute the freshly sliced pepperoni over the mozzarella.
⏱️ 1 min - 14
Carefully slide the assembled pizza onto the preheated pizza steel in the oven. If the pizza is misplaced, let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then reposition it with the pizza peel.
⏱️ 1 min•🌡️ 550 - 15
Bake the pizza for about 7 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly charred in spots. While baking, prepare a wire rack to place the cooked pizza on to prevent the bottom from becoming soggy.
⏱️ 7 min•🌡️ 550 - 16
Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven and immediately transfer it to the wire rack. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil generously over the crust.
⏱️ 1 min - 17
Pipe dollops of ricotta cheese onto the pizza using the prepared ziploc bag. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the pizza. Grate Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza.
⏱️ 2 min - 18
Finally, drizzle hot honey over the entire pizza. Slice and serve immediately.
⏱️ 1 min