Sbarro-Style New York Pepperoni Pizza Slice

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic mall-slice vibes: wide, foldable, and satisfyingly chewy.
• Slightly sweet, pizzeria-style red sauce that tastes like you remember.
• Heavy blanket of low-moisture mozzarella for that rich, even melt.
• Natural-casing pepperoni that cups and chars at the edges for crispy, meaty pops.

Grocery List

• Produce: None (optional fresh basil for garnish)
• Dairy: Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella; Parmesan
• Pantry: Bread or high-gluten flour; instant yeast; crushed tomatoes; tomato paste (optional); sugar; fine sea salt; olive oil; dried oregano; garlic powder; onion powder; black pepper; red pepper flakes (optional); ground fennel seed (optional); semolina or cornmeal

Full Ingredients

High-Gluten New York Dough (2 x 16-inch pies)

• High-gluten or bread flour: 530 g (about 4 1/3 cups)
• Cold water (55–60°F): 327 g (1 3/8 cups)
• Instant yeast (SAF/IDY): 1/2 tsp (1.6 g)
• Fine sea salt: 1 3/4 tsp (10.5 g)
• Granulated sugar: 2 1/2 tsp (10.5 g)
• Olive oil: 1 1/2 tbsp (21 g)
• Optional if using all-purpose flour: vital wheat gluten, 1 tbsp (8–10 g)

Slightly Sweet NY-Style Pizza Sauce (No Cook)

• Crushed tomatoes (28 oz/794 g can)
• Granulated sugar: 2 tsp (8 g)
• Fine sea salt: 1 tsp (6 g)
• Dried oregano: 1 tsp
• Garlic powder: 1/2 tsp
• Onion powder: 1/4 tsp
• Freshly ground black pepper: 1/4 tsp
• Olive oil: 1 tsp
• Optional: red pepper flakes, 1/8 tsp; ground fennel seed, 1/8 tsp; tomato paste, 1 tbsp for deeper color

Cheese & Toppings

• Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, grated: 28 oz (800 g) total (14 oz per pizza)
• Natural-casing cup-and-char pepperoni: 8 oz (225 g) total (4 oz per pizza; about 30–40 slices)
• Grated Parmesan: 2 tbsp (10 g)
• Olive oil: 2 tsp (for brushing rims/finishing)

For Shaping, Launching & Finishing

• All-purpose flour for dusting: 2 tbsp
• Semolina or coarse cornmeal for the peel: 2 tbsp
• Optional: pinch of dried oregano for finishing

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix and knead a classic NY-style dough

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the flour (and vital wheat gluten if using) with the instant yeast. In a separate pitcher, stir the cold water with sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix just until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest for 10 minutes (autolyse). Add the olive oil and knead on low–medium speed for 4–5 minutes (or by hand for 6–7 minutes) until smooth and slightly tacky. Target dough temperature: 75–78°F.

Step 2: Ball and cold-ferment for flavor and chew

Weigh and divide dough into two equal balls (about 450 g each). Lightly oil two lidded containers, add dough balls, cover, and refrigerate 24–48 hours (up to 72 for deeper flavor). On bake day, remove one ball 2 hours before baking (leave the second ball chilled if baking later).

Step 3: Stir a no-cook, slightly sweet sauce

In a bowl, whisk the crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and olive oil (plus optional red pepper flakes/fennel/tomato paste). Taste and adjust salt or sugar to preference. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld. This recipe makes enough for two pizzas.

Step 4: Preheat your oven like a pizzeria

Place a baking steel (preferred) or stone on the upper-middle rack (6–8 inches from the broiler). Preheat to 550°F, or your oven’s hottest setting, for a full 60 minutes. If you don’t have a steel/stone, preheat an inverted heavy sheet pan the same way. Five minutes before baking, slice and keep the pepperoni cold to encourage cupping.

Step 5: Stretch a wide, thin-but-chewy skin

Generously flour your work surface, then dust off excess. Set the dough down, seam side down. Press from the center outward to a 10–11 inch round, leaving a 1-inch rim untouched. Lift the dough and use your knuckles to gently stretch to 16 inches, rotating as you go. Avoid thinning the center too much. Transfer to a peel dusted with semolina/cornmeal. If you’re prone to bubbles, lightly dock the center with a fork (optional).

Step 6: Top for cupping pepperoni and heavy cheese

Spread 3/4 cup (about 180 g) of sauce thinly and evenly over the dough, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge. Blanket with 14 oz (400 g) grated low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella. Distribute 4 oz (110–115 g) natural-casing pepperoni over the top; slightly overlap slices for dramatic cupping. Sprinkle 1 tbsp Parmesan and a tiny pinch of dried oregano if you like.

Step 7: Bake until bronzed, then finish under the broiler

Launch the pizza onto the preheated steel/stone. Bake at 550°F for 6–8 minutes until the crust is bronzed underneath, cheese is melted with tawny spots, and pepperoni edges are crisp. For a pizzeria-like finish, switch to broil on high for 30–60 seconds, rotating every 15 seconds for even mottling. Brush the rim lightly with a few drops of olive oil, rest 2 minutes, then slice into 8 big wedges. Repeat with the second dough ball.

Pro Tips

• For that foldable chew, use high-gluten flour or add vital wheat gluten to all-purpose flour.
• Keep pepperoni cold and place it on top of the cheese to encourage cupping and crisp edges.
• Use a light hand with sauce (175–200 g per 16-inch pie) to avoid a soggy center.
• A baking steel preheated for a full hour is the fastest route to a bronzed, pizzeria-quality bottom.
• Grate low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella yourself; pre-shredded blends can be starchier and melt less evenly.

Variations

• Classic Cheese: Skip pepperoni and finish with extra Parmesan and a whisper of dried oregano.
• Half-and-Half: Build one side pepperoni, the other just cheese for crowd-pleasing variety.
• Sheet-Pan Style: Press one dough ball into an oiled 13×18 inch sheet pan; par-bake 4 minutes at 500°F, top, then bake 8–10 minutes more.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Dough balls: Refrigerate 24–72 hours; for longer storage, freeze individually oiled balls up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp 2 hours before shaping. Sauce: Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Leftover slices: Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat on a preheated steel or sheet pan at 425°F for 5–7 minutes, or crisp in a covered nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate per slice (1/8 of a 16-inch pepperoni pizza): 350–380 calories; 18–20 g fat; 31–34 g carbohydrates; 16–18 g protein; 900–1100 mg sodium.