10 to 12 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
Bread flour
Yellow cornmeal
Sugar
Salt
Instant yeast
Salted butter
Olive oil
6 ounces tomato paste
Sliced pepperoni
Two 8-ounce packages Mozzarella cheese
Shredded parmesan cheese
12- or 24-ounces string mozzarella cheese (If using 1 stick in the pizza crust, you’ll need 12 ounces. If using 2 sticks in the pizza crust, you’ll need 24 ounces)
Seasonings & herbs
Garlic
Salt
Black pepper
Chef Paul’s pizza and pasta magic
Granulated onion
Granulated garlic
Dried oregano
Dried Basil
Dried thyme
Dried parsley
Tools you’ll need
16- inch diameter pizza pan
Cheese shredder
Preparation of ingredients
Garlic
Step 1- Press 1 clove garlic with a garlic press.
Mozzarella
Note- This can be done 1 to 2 days in advance
Step 2- Shred two 8-ounce packages of Mozzarella cheese using a cheese shredder. Once done place the shredded cheese into the fridge.
Marinara sauce
Note- This can be made 1 to 2 days in advance.
Step 3- Add 6 ounces tomato paste, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon chef Paul’s pizza and pasta magic, 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion, 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar into a medium-sized glass bowl. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined.
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 4- Add your prepared marinara sauce into a heated small pot and stir. Let simmer for 3 minutes. Turn your fire off and add 1/2 tablespoon salted butter and stir until the butter melts. Let the marinara sauce cool completely.
Pizza dough
Dry ingredients
Step 5- Add 3 and 1/4 cups bread flour, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt into stand mixer bowl. Stir all ingredients together. Attach the stand mixing bowl on to the base of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Adding the wet ingredients
Step 6- Add 1 and 1/3 cups warm water (Temp of water should be 115- or 120-degrees F.), 2 tablespoons melted salted butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix on a medium low speed or according to your stand mixer’s instructions on mixing doughs for 4 to 5 minutes. The dough should barely stick to your hands.
Kneading and resting the dough
Step 7- Lightly flour the surface of your table. Add the dough on top of your table. Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Pizza pan
Step 8- Add 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil onto a 16-inch diameter pizza pan. Spread the oil around the pizza pan with your hands. Lightly sprinkle yellow cornmeal onto the pizza pan and set aside.
Pressing the dough out
Step 9- Press the dough down with your hands. This will release the gasses caused by the yeast. Stretch the dough out with your hands forming the dough into a flat 15- inch in diameter circle.
Step 10- Take a rolling pin and roll the edge of the pizza dough thin. Do not start from the center of the pizza dough. Start 3 to 4 inches inward from the edge of the pizza dough and roll that part of the dough thin using the rolling pin. The reason for this is for the pizza crust being stuffed with cheese, the dough in that area doesn’t need to be thick as the center. Also, this will allow edge of the pizza dough to be folded over the string mozzarella cheese sticks, forming the pizza crust in the process.
Step 11- Carefully lift the flattened pizza dough from the top of the table and place it onto your pizza pan. Make sure the dough is near perfectly aligned onto the pizza pan. There should be some pizza dough hanging from the edge of the pizza pan. Take that portion of the dough and gently stretch the dough out with your hands.
Adding the string cheese and forming the pizza crust
Note– You can use 1 ounce (1 stick string cheese) or 2 ounces (2 sticks string cheese) into the pizza crust.
Step 12- Add 1 or 2 sticks string mozzarella cheese 1- or 2-inches inch inward from the edge of the pizza pan. Take the thin pizza dough that’s hanging from the edge of the pizza pan fold it over the string mozzarella stick(s) to the opposite side. Take your fingers and press the edge of the pizza dough down into the pizza crust to seal. Picture demonstrations are below.
Assembling the pizza
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Step 13- Add marinara sauce onto the center of the pizza dough. Spread it around the pizza dough as evenly as possible without getting any of the sauce on the pizza crust part of the dough.
Step 14- Lightly sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top of the marinara sauce. It doesn’t have to be a certain amount.
Step 15- Generously add the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the marina sauce. Make sure that you reserve a small amount of the shredded mozzarella cheese to add on top of the pepperoni.
Step 16- Add the sliced pepperoni on top of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Add as many slices as you like. Once done add the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pepperoni. Let the pizza sit for 2 minutes and after that it is ready to be baked.
Baking the pizza
Note– Make the garlic butter topping when the pizza is baking in the oven. (See step 18)
Step 17- Place the pizza into a preheated 450-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Once done remove the pizza from the oven.
Garlic butter topping
Note- Add the garlic butter on top of the pizza crust as soon as you remove the pizza from the oven.
Step 18- Add 4 tablespoons melted salted butter and 1 clove pressed garlic into a small food processor. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds. If you don’t have a food processor, melt the butter into a heated small frying pan. Add the 1 clove of pressed garlic and stir for 30 seconds and turn your fire off.
Step 19- Generously brush the garlic butter mixture onto the pizza crust. Lightly sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top of the pizza crust. Wait 2 minutes and after that the pizza is ready to be served.
YouTube instructional video
