Pepperoni Pizza Crown

It’s that time of year when everybody’s talking resolutions and giving things up, and while we definitely support everybody’s New Year’s projects, we have to be honest about one thing: we’re never going to give up pizza! How could we, when there are so many delicious ways to eat it, from bites to spirals, dips to Mexican-inspired twists, and even versions made on zucchini. Our new fave? Pizza Crowns!

Yes, you might recognize this idea from our Breakfast Pizza Crown, but this time we’re going a little more traditionally tasty with classic toppings. Watch us make a Pepperoni Pizza Crown, then read on for the full recipe so you can try it, too!

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Pepperoni Pizza Crown

Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • Flour, for dusting
  • 1 pound pizza dough, store bought or homemade, brought to room temperature
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
  • ½ cup marinara sauce
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • ½ cup chopped pepperoni (about 30 to 40 pepperoni, depending on size)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon dried parsley
  • 8 pepperoni, left whole

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius). Line a 12-inch round pizza pan or cookie pan with parchment paper and dust with flour.
  2. On the lined pizza pan, press the pizza dough into a circle the size and shape of the pizza pan. If the dough resists being stretched, allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes covered in plastic wrap, then stretch the dough a second time. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 8 small triangular slices in the center of the dough, leaving about a 3-inch border on the outside. Set aside.
  3. In a bowl, combine ⅔ cup of the mozzarella cheese, the marinara sauce, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the chopped pepperoni and the Italian seasoning. Mix to combine.
  4. Spread the pizza filling on the uncut 3-inch border of dough, leaving about a ½-inch border on the outside. Add the remaining mozzarella cheese to the top of the filling.
  5. Wrap each center triangle of dough over the filling, towards the edge, and secure under the outer edge of the dough. Adjust the ring if needed to ensure a nice round pizza crown.
  6. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley, and stir to combine. Brush the top of the crown with half of the melted garlic herb butter.
  7. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough turns golden brown.
  8. When there are about 5 minutes of baking left, temporarily remove the crown from the oven and place the whole pepperoni on the openings between the triangles of pizza dough, where the melted cheese is showing through. Return the crown to the oven and bake with pepperoni on top for the last 5 minutes, until the pepperoni begin to curl.
  9. Remove the baked crown from the oven and immediately brush the top with the remaining garlic herb butter and sprinkle with the rest of the finely-grated Parmesan cheese.
  10. Serve warm.

Just looking at this one is making me hungry! We love that there’s pepperoni both in the filling and on top of this crown so that you’re guaranteed to get that savory taste in every single bite.

But what do YOU think? Do you like this pepperoni version of our pizza crown, or do you prefer our breakfast version— or another kind entirely?! What other toppings would you like to see in a pizza crown? Tell us if you give this one a try and be sure to let us know how it turns out for you!