Has this week felt particularly slow for anyone else besides me? It has been raining pretty much non stop the entire week so I think that is part of it. Rainy, overcast weather always makes me sleepy and so un-motivated!
This is why I needed something to look forward to for the weekend, and I'm thinking about making this pizza combo again. Of all the things I make in my kitchen, homemade pizza is one of the most common. We don't eat it every week necessarily, but it's one of those constants that I know will always turn out, because I've made it so many times. I love experimenting with toppings, and awhile ago we had some friends over and they introduced me to the most bomb pizza topping combo: meat and jalapenos. Yes, it is so so good. I debated on sharing this recipe with pepperoni or sausage, but ultimately decided on pepperoni. You need to try both versions at some point though!
The other great thing I discovered in my lifelong pizza quest is drizzling honey on pizza!! Where has this been all my pizza-eating life? Wow, it's amazing. I've had it in several fine pizza establishments so far (specifically, I remember it on a pizza at Pinthouse Pizza in Austin!) and I've learned it pairs especially well with somewhat spicy pizzas (thus the jalapenos and red chili pepper flakes here). It's that perfect sweet-savory combo that I can't get enough of.
And can we just be dramatic for a sec? This no-knead pizza dough recipe changed my life. I've tried a few different pizza dough recipes before that only require letting it rise a few hours before using and none of them worked out very well for me. What I love about this recipe is that it takes 5 minutes to put together the night before (I usually do it right before going to bed) and it always works out for me. Make sure to let it rise at least the 18 hours, and you should be good to go!
Pepperoni, Jalapeño, Ricotta and Honey Pizza and No-Knead Pizza Dough
Ingredients
for the no-knead pizza dough
sized down from Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough
(makes one 12-inch pizza)
- 1 1/2 cups flour, plus 2 tbl.
- 1/8 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup water
for the pizza
- recipe for one no-knead pizza dough
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 5 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 7 even rounds
- 15-16 slices of pepperoni
- handful of jalapeños, sliced (we used pickled ones here, but fresh ones work also!)
- a few dollops of ricotta, for topping
- honey
- red chili pepper flakes (optional)
- fresh basil
Directions
the night before you want to eat pizza: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in the water and mix until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 18 - 24 hours until it has doubled in size.
the day of: Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Dump pizza dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Roll out into a circle that will be about 1/2-inch thick. It should be about the size of a 12-13" pizza. Transfer dough onto a baking sheet, and top with mozzarella slices, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and jalapeños.
Bake in preheated oven and begin checking for doneness after 9 minutes. The pizza crust should be golden brown and cheese should be melted.
Remove from the oven and add a few dollops of ricotta, a drizzle of fresh (local is best!) honey, a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes, and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.