Description
A quick and easy crispy heart-shaped pepperoni pizza with melty cheese and perfectly crisped pepperoni edges, perfect for date night or a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 ball of store-bought pizza dough (about 12 oz / 340 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Flour for dusting (all-purpose or bread flour)
- ½ cup (120 ml) marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 20–25 small pepperoni slices
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, for sprinkling after baking)
- Olive oil for brushing crust edges (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven now to heat up for about 30 minutes.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Stretch or roll out the dough ball into roughly a 10-inch (25 cm) circle.
- Pinch the top center of the dough to form the cleft of the heart, then gently press the sides to create the rounded lobes.
- Brush the surface and edges lightly with olive oil.
- Using a spoon or spatula, evenly spread the marinara sauce over the dough, leaving about a ½-inch (1.3 cm) border around the edges.
- Generously sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the sauce, covering evenly but not overloading.
- Arrange the small pepperoni slices evenly on top.
- Transfer the pizza carefully onto the hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling and edges are crisp and slightly browned.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with grated Parmesan if desired, and fresh basil leaves. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing.
Notes
[‘Use a thin, even layer of sauce to avoid soggy crust.’, ‘Use room-temperature dough for easier stretching.’, ‘Preheat oven and pizza stone or baking sheet thoroughly for a crispy bottom.’, ‘Small pepperoni slices crisp better and curl up nicely.’, ‘Brush crust with olive oil for better browning and flavor.’, ‘Let pizza rest a few minutes before slicing to prevent cheese from sliding.’, ‘If crust edges brown too fast, tent with foil halfway through baking.’, ‘Rotate pizza once during baking for even cooking.’, ‘For gluten-free option, use gluten-free or cauliflower crust and adjust baking time.’, ‘For dairy-free, substitute mozzarella with plant-based cheese.’, ‘Reheat leftovers in oven or skillet to maintain crispiness; avoid microwave.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the pizza
- Calories: 320350
- Fat: 1215
- Carbohydrates: 3035
- Protein: 1518
Keywords: pepperoni pizza, heart-shaped pizza, crispy pizza, date night recipe, easy pizza, homemade pizza, quick dinner