Pepperoni and sweet pickle pizza may seem like an odd recipe, but if you like the salty-sweet combo of pineapple and ham, then I guarantee you'll love this one, too.
I've been meaning to post this recipe here ever since I first created it for my book, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Cookbook. (Pepperoni and sweet pickle pizza is one of Michelangelo's favorite orders in the original TMNT cartoon.)
And then, out of the blue, my friend Lori, who runs the blog KidsLitLife, asked if I'd make a special pizza to go with her latest book choice: Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party, by Kimberly and James Dean. In the book, Pete makes an epic pizza with his friends using ingredients that start with the letter P. And yes, pepperoni and pickles are both included.
If pepperoni and sweet pickle is good enough for Michelangelo, then it's good enough for Pete the Cat.
A few things to keep in mind before you make this oddly delicious pickle pizza recipe:
- Use a cooked-down sauce, such as my New York Style Pizza Sauce. Sauces that have simmered for a while have less acidity and more sweetness, which will better complement the pickles.
- I like pickle slices that are on the thinner side (somewhere between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick). If your pickles are too thick, they'll overpower the pepperoni.
- Resist the urge to add more cheese. Trust me on this one: Between the pepperoni and the thick sauce, you've got plenty of richness already. Too much cheese will weigh the whole thing down and throw off the balance of flavors and textures.
Are you more of a dill pickle person? Give my Ranch and Dill Pickle Pizza recipe a try!
Pepperoni and Sweet Pickle Pizza
Equipment
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza peel (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- ⅔ to ¾ cup New York Style Pizza Sauce (or your favorite store-bought sauce)
- 3 to 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated (¾ to 1 cup)
- 24 slices pepperoni (about half of a 6-ounce package)
- ½ to 1 cup bread-and-butter pickle chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spoon the sauce onto the dough and spread it out evenly, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Top with half of the cheese, then the pepperoni and pickles. Finish with the remaining cheese.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
- Remove the pizza from the oven. Let it cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
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