Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizza (Printable)

Tender crust with tomato sauce, gooey mozzarella, and savory beef pepperoni shaped into a heart.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pizza Dough

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup warm water (110°F)
03 - 1 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1 tsp sugar
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Sauce

07 - ⅓ cup pizza or marinara sauce

→ Cheese

08 - 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

→ Toppings

10 - 18–20 slices beef pepperoni
11 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
12 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy and activated.
02 - Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to form.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
04 - Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
05 - Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet inside to heat thoroughly.
06 - Punch down risen dough and roll out on parchment paper into a large heart shape approximately ⅓ inch thick.
07 - Spread pizza sauce evenly over dough surface, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges.
08 - Distribute shredded mozzarella cheese over sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if using.
09 - Place beef pepperoni slices over cheese in an attractive pattern following the heart shape contour.
10 - Sprinkle dried Italian herbs evenly across toppings. Carefully transfer pizza on parchment to hot stone or baking sheet.
11 - Bake for 12–15 minutes until crust turns golden brown and cheese bubbles vigorously.
12 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil if desired, slice immediately, and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The homemade dough comes together in minutes and bakes into the perfect tender-chewy crust that puts delivery pizza to shame
  • Theres something ridiculously satisfying about arranging pepperoni in a heart pattern and watching it transform into a golden, bubbling masterpiece
  • Its faster than ordering takeout and infinitely more impressive when you pull this romantic creation out of the oven
02 -
  • Roll your dough out on parchment paper before shaping the heart, because trying to transfer a raw heart-shaped dough from the counter to a baking sheet is an exercise in frustration and disappointment
  • Working with slightly warm dough is much easier than cold dough, so if your dough has been resting for a while, let it come to room temperature for about 10 minutes before shaping
  • Resist the urge to overload your pizza with sauce or cheese, because too much moisture will make your crust soggy no matter how hot your oven is
03 -
  • If your dough keeps springing back when you are trying to shape it, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten, then try again
  • For extra crispy pepperoni, bake your pizza for 10 minutes, then add the pepperoni and finish baking for the last few minutes

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