Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Bread flour: 300 g (2 1/2 cups, spooned & leveled)
- Warm water (100–105°F / 38–41°C): 190 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
- Instant yeast: 2 g (3/4 tsp)
- Granulated sugar: 9 g (2 1/4 tsp)
- Fine salt: 6 g (1 tsp)
- Olive oil (in dough): 18 g (1 1/2 tbsp)
- Olive oil (for brushing): 2 tsp
- Tomato sauce: 240 g (1 cup)
- Tomato paste: 30 g (2 tbsp)
- Sugar (for sauce): 12 g (1 tbsp)
- Garlic powder: 1/2 tsp
- Onion powder: 1/2 tsp
- Dried oregano: 1 tsp
- Dried basil: 1/2 tsp
- Kosher salt (for sauce): 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper: 1/4 tsp
- Red wine vinegar: 1 tsp
- Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded: 340 g (12 oz; about 3 1/2 cups)
- Grated Parmesan (optional but nice): 15 g (2 tbsp)
- Cupping pepperoni (cup-and-char style): 140 g (5 oz)
Do This
- 1. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt; add warm water and olive oil; knead 8–10 minutes.
- 2. Cover and rise 60–90 minutes until puffy.
- 3. Stir sauce ingredients together; set aside.
- 4. Preheat oven to 525°F (275°C) with a pizza steel/stone for 45 minutes.
- 5. Stretch dough to a 16-inch round with a slightly thicker rim; move to parchment.
- 6. Brush rim lightly with oil; top with 3/4 cup sauce, extra mozzarella, then cupping pepperoni.
- 7. Bake 8–10 minutes until blistered edges and pepperoni cups; cool 2 minutes, slice, fold, and eat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big, wide, foldable slices: a true New York–style feel with that “grab-and-fold” structure.
- Slightly sweet, pizza-chain-style sauce: balanced tomato flavor with just enough sweetness.
- Extra mozzarella coverage: melty, stretchy cheese that goes edge-to-edge.
- Cupping pepperoni: crisped rims and little pools of spicy oil in each cup.
Grocery List
- Produce: none required (optional: basil for serving)
- Dairy: low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella (12 oz / 340 g), Parmesan (optional)
- Pantry: bread flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, fine salt, olive oil, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, red wine vinegar
- Meat: cupping pepperoni (cup-and-char style)
Full Ingredients
Dough (1 large 16-inch pizza)
- Bread flour: 300 g (2 1/2 cups, spooned & leveled)
- Warm water: 190 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp), warmed to 100–105°F (38–41°C)
- Instant yeast: 2 g (3/4 tsp)
- Granulated sugar: 9 g (2 1/4 tsp)
- Fine salt: 6 g (1 tsp)
- Olive oil: 18 g (1 1/2 tbsp)
Slightly Sweet Red Sauce (makes about 1 cup; you’ll use about 3/4 cup)
- Tomato sauce: 240 g (1 cup)
- Tomato paste: 30 g (2 tbsp)
- Granulated sugar: 12 g (1 tbsp)
- Garlic powder: 1/2 tsp
- Onion powder: 1/2 tsp
- Dried oregano: 1 tsp
- Dried basil: 1/2 tsp
- Kosher salt: 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper: 1/4 tsp
- Olive oil: 1 tsp
- Red wine vinegar: 1 tsp
Toppings
- Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded: 340 g (12 oz; about 3 1/2 cups)
- Grated Parmesan (optional): 15 g (2 tbsp)
- Cupping pepperoni (cup-and-char style): 140 g (5 oz), or enough to generously cover the pizza (typically 55–70 slices depending on size)
For Shaping & Finishing
- Olive oil (for brushing the rim): 2 tsp
- Bench flour: 1–2 tbsp, for stretching (as needed)
- Parchment paper: 1 sheet (helps launch a large pizza cleanly)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water (100–105°F / 38–41°C) and olive oil.
Stir with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. If the dough seems very dry and won’t come together, add 1 teaspoon water at a time (up to 1 tablespoon total). If it feels wet and sticky like batter, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time (rare, but humidity happens).
Step 2: Knead until smooth and stretchy
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8–10 minutes, until it looks smooth and elastic. It should feel soft and a little tacky, but not sticky enough to glue itself to your hands.
Form the dough into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath. Lightly oil the same bowl, place the dough inside, and turn it once so the top is lightly coated.
Step 3: Let it rise until puffy
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at warm room temperature until noticeably puffy and roughly doubled, 60–90 minutes. If your kitchen is cool, aim for the longer end.
While it rises, you can prep your toppings and sauce so the bake goes fast (that helps keep the crust foldable, not dried out).
Step 4: Make the slightly sweet red sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
Set aside at room temperature while you heat the oven. (No cooking needed; this keeps the sauce bright and helps mimic that classic “pizza chain” sauce flavor.)
Step 5: Preheat the oven and your baking surface
Place a pizza steel or pizza stone on the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 525°F (275°C) for 45 minutes. This long preheat is what gives you the chewy, blistered edge and crisp-leaning bottom while keeping the center flexible for folding.
If you don’t have a steel/stone, you can use an inverted heavy baking sheet on the middle rack, but still preheat it for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Stretch a big, thin 16-inch round with a wider rim
Cut a sheet of parchment paper about the size of your pizza. Lightly flour your counter and place the dough down.
Press the dough into a disk, then use your fingertips to gently dimple outward from the center, pushing air toward the edge. Leave about a 1-inch rim a touch thicker than the center (this helps create that wide, foldable crust edge).
Pick up the dough and stretch it over your knuckles, rotating as you go, until it reaches 16 inches. If it resists and shrinks back, set it down and rest it for 5 minutes, then continue stretching.
Transfer the dough to the parchment. If it lost its round shape, tug it gently back into a circle.
Step 7: Oil the rim, top generously, and bake for blistered chew
Brush the outer rim lightly with 2 teaspoons olive oil. This is key for that lightly glossy, tender-but-chewy edge.
Spread 3/4 cup (180 g) of sauce in an even layer, leaving the rim exposed. (For a slightly saucier pizza, use up to 1 cup.)
Sprinkle on the mozzarella evenly all the way out toward the sauce edge, then add Parmesan if using. Arrange the cupping pepperoni generously over the top.
Slide the pizza (still on parchment) onto the preheated steel/stone. Bake at 525°F (275°C) for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling with light browning, the pepperoni cups have crisped edges, and the rim has blistered spots.
If you want a touch more color on top, switch to broil for 30–60 seconds at the end, watching constantly.
Cool for 2 minutes, then slice into 8 wide slices. For that “Big New Yorker” feel, fold each slice lengthwise before biting.
Pro Tips
- Use low-moisture mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella releases water and can make the center floppy in the wrong way. Low-moisture gives the classic stretchy melt.
- Don’t overload the sauce: A thin, even layer keeps the slice foldable instead of wet and droopy.
- For real cup-and-char pepperoni: Look for “cupping pepperoni,” “cup & char,” or “thick cut.” Thin deli-style pepperoni tends to lay flat.
- Steel makes it easier to nail the chew: A pizza steel transfers heat faster than a stone, giving better blistering and a stronger, foldable base.
- Rest if the dough fights you: A 5-minute rest relaxes gluten and prevents tearing when you stretch to 16 inches.
Variations
- Extra “Pizza Hut-ish” finish: After baking, brush the rim with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of fine salt.
- Spicier pepperoni: Add 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper to the sauce or dust lightly over the pepperoni before baking.
- Half pepperoni, half cheese: Top one side with pepperoni and leave the other side plain for picky eaters; bake the same time.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store leftovers: Cool slices completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat for best texture: Warm slices on a skillet over medium heat for 2–4 minutes to crisp the bottom, then cover for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Or reheat in a 450°F (232°C) oven for 6–8 minutes.
Make-ahead dough: After kneading, place the dough in a lightly oiled covered container and refrigerate for 24–48 hours. Before stretching, let it sit at room temperature for 60–90 minutes until relaxed and puffy.
Make-ahead sauce: Refrigerate sauce in a sealed container for up to 7 days. Stir before using.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate, per 1/8 pizza: 430 calories, 20 g protein, 47 g carbs, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 980 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugar.
