Cup-and-Char Pepperoni Skillet Pizza

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A blistered, cheese-to-the-edge pepperoni pizza built for a home oven. Natural-casing pepperoni curls into crisp little cups that fill with spicy rendered fat, a screaming-hot cast iron skillet gives you a crackly fried-bottom crust, and a quick blot with paper towels before slicing keeps every bite savory instead of greasy. The sauce stays raw and bright — crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, torn basil — so it tastes like a good regional Italian kitchen rather than a pizzeria shortcut.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 cup warm water (about 100°F)
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup canned San Marzano or other whole peeled tomatoes, drained of excess liquid
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 pinch sugar (optional, if tomatoes are sharp)

• 8 oz low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
• 2 oz sharp provolone, shredded
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 4 oz natural-casing cup-and-char pepperoni, sliced 1/8-inch thick (about 50 slices)
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
• to taste crushed red pepper and flaky salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Make the dough: whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Add the bread flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir with a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains, about 1 minute. Turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and springy — it should pull back when you poke it.
2. Divide the dough into two 9-ounce balls, rolling each tight against the counter to build a smooth skin. Set them in a lightly oiled dish, cover, and rise at room temperature until nearly doubled and puffy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (For deeper flavor, refrigerate up to 48 hours and let the balls sit at room temperature 1 hour before shaping.)
3. Make the sauce: squeeze the drained tomatoes through your fingers into a bowl, or pulse 3 or 4 times in a food processor for a chunky purée — do not liquefy. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil, the grated garlic, salt, oregano, and the pinch of sugar if needed. Do not cook it; the raw sauce keeps its brightness in the fast bake.
4. Set a 10-inch cast iron skillet on a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 550°F (or your oven's maximum) for at least 45 minutes. A fully saturated pan is what fries the bottom crust — don't shortcut this.
5. Toss the shredded mozzarella and provolone together so they melt evenly. Have your sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and basil staged next to the stove; once the pan comes out, you have about 60 seconds to build.
6. Shape the first pizza: press one dough ball flat on a floured counter, then stretch it from the center outward with your fingertips, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. Work it out to a 10-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick in the middle. Lay it on a piece of floured parchment.
7. Pull the hot skillet from the oven onto the stovetop and add 1 teaspoon olive oil, swirling to coat. Lift the dough off the parchment and lay it into the pan — it will sizzle. Working fast, spread 1/3 cup sauce to within 1/2 inch of the edge, scatter half the mozzarella-provolone blend all the way to the rim, then shingle 25 pepperoni slices over the top, spacing them so each has room to curl.
8. Return the skillet to the oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling, the pepperoni cups have darkened at the rims, and the crust edge is brown. Switch to broil for 60 to 90 seconds if you want more char, watching constantly.
9. Slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Blot the surface with a folded paper towel, pressing lightly over the pepperoni cups and any pooled orange fat — 10 seconds of blotting is the difference between rich and greasy. Shower with half the Parmigiano, tear over 6 basil leaves, and finish with crushed red pepper and flaky salt. Rest 2 minutes, then cut into 6 slices.
10. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel (tongs, not fingers), return it to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes to reheat fully, and repeat with the second dough ball and remaining toppings. Serve each pizza immediately while the crust is still crisp.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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