More Cheese More Chocolate

Pepperoni + banana peppers are my default pizza toppings.  It’s the combination that I order from pizza places when none of their specialty pizzas appeal to me and what I make at home when I want something traditional.  Playing around with ingredients is fun and all, but sometimes simple is best.  Simple lets you get away with a little extra cheese, so, yes, it’s the best.

Pepperoni + Banana Pepper Pizza

• Pizza dough
• Tomato sauce
• Pepperoni
• Banana peppers
• Mozzarella

As you can see, the ingredient list is pretty obvious.  For the dough, I usually make this recipe and use only bread flour instead of bread flour + whole wheat flour.  For the sauce, I doctor up a can of diced or crushed tomatoes with garlic, onion, salt and sometimes some herbs.

We made a wonderful discovery recently while cooking in a cheese grater-less kitchen: slicing the cheese instead of grating it results in an obscenely cheesy pizza.

• Assembly for an ultra cheesy, pepperoni-y experience: spread the dough on an oiled baking sheet, cover with sauce, top with a layer of pepperoni, a hefty layer of cheese, another lighter layer of pepperoni, and plenty of banana peppers.
• Bake at 450 until the cheese is melted and the crust is done to your liking.