New York-Style Pepperoni Pizza

1. 1Mix the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and leave for 10 minutes until foaming. Add the flour, salt and oil and knead for 10 minutes to a smooth, slightly tacky dough.
2. 2Prove at room temperature for 90 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Unlike Neapolitan dough this one has oil and sugar in it, which is what lets it brown properly at domestic oven temperatures.
3. 3For the sauce, simmer the crushed tomatoes, purée, garlic, oregano and sugar for 20 minutes until thickened, then season. New York sauce is cooked, unlike Neapolitan — it needs to survive a longer, cooler bake without going watery.
4. 4Bring the dough to room temperature for 2 hours before baking, and heat the oven with a steel or heavy tray inside to 250°C for an hour.
5. 5Stretch a dough ball out thinner and wider than a Neapolitan base — about 30 cm — keeping the rim modest. This is a slice you should be able to fold in half lengthways.
6. 6Spread the sauce thinly, scatter the grated mozzarella all the way to the edge, then lay the pepperoni on top. Low-moisture mozzarella is essential: fresh mozzarella releases too much water over a longer bake.
7. 7Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling with brown spots and the pepperoni has curled into cups with dark, crisp edges.
8. 8Finish with dried oregano and chilli flakes, rest for 2 minutes, then cut into 8 wedges with a rocking motion rather than a sawing one.

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