If you can't understand the allure of made-from-scratch Bagel Bites, there's nothing I can say or do to convince you. This is a recipe for the hardcore fans, those of us who've longed for bite-size pizza poppers that taste as good as we remember—chewy, cheesy, salty, and crisp. WHY IT WORKS Baking mini bagels on a wire rack prevents their bottoms from browning, keeping them tender and easy to eat. Lightly toasting the split bagels will prevent them from absorbing the red sauce, which would make them soggy. Diced pepperoni offers better distribution on the mini pizzas, while also matching the look of real Bagel Bites. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 10-inch skillet, food processor, 3- or 4-quart stainless steel pot, wire rack NOTES: Thanks to the keeping qualities of my bagel dough, this recipe is great spread out over the course of a few days. So make the dough and sauce whenever you have a chance, bake off the bagels when it's convenient, then assemble at your leisure. INGREDIENTS Homemade Bagel dough 1 ounce barley malt syrup (4 teaspoons; 30g), optional Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce Salt, pepper, and fennel seed to taste 12 ounces finely shredded mozzarella cheese (3 cups; 340g) 6 ounces pepperoni, such as Vermont Smoke & Cure (1 link; 170g) DIRECTIONS 1. For the Mini Bagels: Prepare dough as directed, then divide into 16 equal portions, about 1 1/2 ounces or 43g each. Cup a portion of dough beneath your palm and work in quick, circular motions to form a tight skin around the ball, with only a tiny seam along the bottom. If the seam is large or irregular, continue rounding until the bottom is nearly smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest 15 minutes. Poke a hole into the center of each portion with a damp fingertip, then gently stretch into a 1 1/2–inch ring, wetting your hands in cold water as needed to prevent sticking. Arrange on a well-greased, parchment-lined half sheet pan, cover with plastic, and refrigerate 24 to 36 hours, depending on your schedule. 2. To Boil and Bake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Nest a wire baking rack in a half sheet pan, then cover with parchment. Fill a stainless steel pot with about 3 inches of water, stir in malt (if using), and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet or cutting board with a thick layer of paper towels. Working with three or four at a time, boil the bagels, about 15 seconds per side. Place on paper towels, then immediately transfer to the prepared half sheet pan. (If left on the paper towels too long, the bagels will stick; if this happens, quickly dip the bagel back into the hot water, and the wet paper towel will peel right off.) Bake until blistered and golden brown all over, about 18 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes before proceeding to the next step, or store mini bagels up to 36 hours in a paper bag. 3. To Finish: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Split mini bagels horizontally with a serrated knife, arrange half on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and toast only until their surface is a little dry, about 5 minutes. Top each with a few tablespoons of red sauce, followed by a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and fennel seed, followed by a generous mound of cheese and a small handful of diced pepperoni. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 16 minutes, and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining bagel halves for round two.
Spicy salami and sweet honey are perfect partners on this Neapolitan-style pizza with fresh mozzarella and sliced chilies. WHY IT WORKS Spicy salami and sweet honey are perfect partners. Sweet and spicy flavors are in perfect balance. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: wood and metal pizza peels, pizza cutter, baking stone or Baking Steel (see note above) NOTES: For best results, bake your pizza using a KettlePizza and Baking Steel setup. INGREDIENTS 1 recipe Neapolitan Pizza Dough or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes Kosher salt 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into rough chunks and drained 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 6 to 10 ounces sliced hot soppressata or salami 1 small serrano chili, thinly sliced 12 to 15 fresh basil leaves 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons honey DIRECTIONS 1. Divide dough into four equal parts and place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or a zipper-lock freezer bag. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking. Transfer tomatoes to a medium bowl and roughly crush by hand. Season to taste with salt and set aside. 2. Adjust oven rack to 6 inches under broiler and place stone or steel on rack. Preheat oven to highest possible temperature (500 or 550°F) for at least 45 minutes. Alternatively, use a KettlePizza and Baking Steel grill insert. 3. When ready to bake, turn one dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press out dough into a rough 8-inch circle, leaving the outer 1 inch higher than the center. Gently stretch dough into a 10- to 12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick, by draping over knuckles and gently stretching. Transfer to floured wooden pizza peel. 4. Preheat broiler to high. Spread a thin layer of crushed tomatoes over the pizza, leaving the 1-inch border around the edge. Spread 1/4 of mozzarella over pizza, followed by 1/4 of Parmesan, 1/4 of sliced soppressata, 1/4 of chilies, and 1/4 of basil leaves. Sprinkle lightly with salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. 5. Transfer pizza to hot stone or steel and broil, rotating regularly for even cooking, until edges are puffed and lightly charred and bottom is crisp, 3 to 6 minutes total. Retrieve pizza with a metal peel and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to rest 1 minute. Meanwhile, switch oven back to 550°F to reheat stone or steel for remaining pizzas. 6. Drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon honey, slice, and serve. 7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for remaining pizzas.
The Spicy Spring from Prince Street Pizza, with its thick, olive oil–infused crust; spicy tomato sauce; mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheese; and crisp-edged pepperoni, is an insanely good pizza with only one real problem: It doesn't exist anywhere else. No longer. Here's how to make that pizza anywhere in the world. WHY IT WORKS A spicy, cheesy square pizza with crispy chalices of pepperoni. Read the Whole Story Using the food processor for dough very rapidly builds up an elastic gluten network for good texture. Letting the dough rise in a pan coated with olive oil ensures that it doesn't stick while baking and that it acquires a crunchy, golden-brown crust. Layering the cheese under the sauce prevents the crust from getting soggy. Natural-casing pepperoni curls as it bakes, giving you textural contrast from the crispy edges. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Food processor (recommended), rimmed baking sheet, pizza wheel NOTES: All dough quantities are given in mass measurements (ounces, not fluid ounces). For best results, I strongly recommend using a precise scale, set to either ounces or grams, to weigh out dough ingredients. If using a food processor, you can place the food processor bowl directly on the scale and tare it, then add the ingredients directly to it. To get pepperoni that curls as it bakes, look for a high-quality natural-casing, stick-style pepperoni and slice it yourself. Check out our taste test for recommended brands. INGREDIENTS For the Dough (see note above): 17.5 ounces bread flour (500g; about 3 1/2 cups) 1/2 ounce salt (14g; about 1 tablespoon) 1/4 ounce instant or rapid-rise yeast (6g; about 1 1/2 teaspoons) 0.35 ounce extra-virgin olive oil (20g; 2 tablespoons), plus 1/4 cup olive oil (60ml; 40g) for the pan 11.5 ounces room-temperature water (325g; about 1 cup plus 7 tablespoons) For the Sauce: 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil 9 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon (about 4g) dried oregano 2 teaspoons (about 3g) dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste 1 (28-ounce; 800g) can whole peeled tomatoes 1 teaspoon (about 4g) sugar Kosher salt To Assemble and Bake: 1 pound (450g) sliced deli-style mozzarella cheese 12 ounces (325g) natural-casing pepperoni, cut into 1/8-inch slices (see note above) 4 ounces (115g) ground Pecorino Romano cheese DIRECTIONS 1. To Make the Dough in a Food Processor (recommended): Combine flour, salt, yeast, 0.35 ounce olive oil, and water in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade or dough blade attachment. Process until a dough that rides around the blade forms, then continue processing for 30 seconds. Continue with Step 4 below. 2. To Make the Dough in a Stand Mixer: Combine flour, salt, yeast, and 0.35 ounce olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer (see below for mixer-free version). Whisk to combine. Fit mixer with dough hook attachment. Add water to mixer and mix on medium speed until dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough is stretchy and smooth, about 6 minutes. The dough should stick to the bottom of bowl, but pull away from the sides. Continue with Step 4 below. 3. To Make the Dough Using the No-Knead Method: Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add 0.35 ounce olive oil and water and stir by hand until dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Continue with Step 4 below. 4. Pour remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into a 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet and spread over entire inner surface with your hands. Transfer dough to baking sheet and turn in oil until thoroughly coated. Spread gently with your hands. (It will not stretch to fill the pan; this is fine.) Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until dough has slackened and started to spread out toward the edges of the pan, 2 to 3 hours. Carefully remove plastic wrap from pizza dough. Using oiled hands, and working as gently as possible to maintain air bubbles, push and stretch dough into the corners of the pan by pressing out from the center, lifting each corner, and stretching it beyond the edge of the pan. It should pull back until pan is just filled with dough. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes while you make the sauce. 5. For the Sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Using a pastry cutter or a potato masher, break up tomatoes into fine chunks. Stir in sugar. Bring to a bare simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Season to taste with salt. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. 6. Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat oven to 550°F. 7. To Assemble and Bake: Spread slices of mozzarella cheese evenly over surface of pizza. Spoon sauce on top of cheese and spread with the back of a spoon. (You will not need all the sauce; use as much as you like, but be sparing.) Spread pepperoni slices evenly over surface. Sprinkle with half of Romano cheese. Transfer to oven and bake until pepperoni is crisp and curled and bottom of pizza is golden brown when you peek by lifting the corner with a thin spatula, about 10 minutes. With some ovens, you may need to loosely tent the top of the pizza with aluminum foil and continue baking until the bottom is golden and crisp. 8. Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle with remaining half of Romano cheese, use a pizza wheel to cut it into slices, and serve immediately.
Homemade Italian sausage is formed into patties and stuffed with nuggets of mozzarella cheese. Then, the burgers are heavily pepper-crusted on the rims and finished with a dollop of creamy ricotta, red sauce, and fresh basil. Perhaps best of all, though, is the garnish of vinegar peppers that roast in the oven (or, alternately, cook in a tin right on the grill). WHY THIS WORKS: Coarsely ground pork is packed with Italian spices and spiked with balsamic vinegar before it rests 12 hours in the refrigerator for maximum flavor and juiciness. Bell peppers get vinegary and smoky as they marinate and cook on the grill. NOTE: For a faster version, use 1 1/2 pounds store-bought Italian sausage, removed from its casing. INGREDIENTS For the Sausage: 1 1/2 pounds coarsely ground pork 1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper, plus 1/4 cup for crusting, divided 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt 1/2 tablespoon onion powder 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced (about 1 tablespoon) 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, lightly toasted and ground 1/2 tablespoon dried basil 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 (1/2-by 2- by 2-inch) squares mozzarella cheese For the Peppers: 4 large bell peppers, seeds and stems discarded and cut into chunks 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar To Serve: 4 crusty rolls 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought red sauce DIRECTIONS 1. Combine pork, 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic, fennel, basil, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley, and vinegar in a large bowl. Combine using hands and kneading to evenly distribute spices. Place in a resealable bag or container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. 2. The next day, place remaining 1/4 cup black pepper on a plate. Remove Italian sausage from the refrigerator. Form four equally divided portions around a nugget of mozzarella, creating patties with thick, flat sides. Make sure they are sealed very tightly around the mozzarella. Roll the edges of the patties through the black pepper to crust. Set aside on a large plate. 3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover gill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. 4. Place bell pepeprs peppers in a 13- by 9- disposable aluminum baking pan. Add olive oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. 5. When peppers are about half done, place Italian sausage patties on hot side of the grill. Cover and cook until well charred on first, side, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until cooked through and cheese on the interior is melted, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. 6. Toast rolls over fire until crusty. Remove from grill. Place burger patties on bottom buns. Slather with ricotta, top with red sauce, basil leaves, and peppers, close burgers, and serve immediately.
