Tavern Pizza

Tavern pizza, the original Chicago-style pie, has a super thin, crispy crust with almost no rise. The toppings used here are a great combo of spicy and sweet — the pickled pepperoncini add a nice acidic balance to the pepperoni and cheese. Customize to your liking. Using a rolling pin to fully flatten the edges of the crust is different from how you would normally shape a pizza crust but this helps keep it thin. Add red chile flakes and Parmesan to finish.

Overhead shot of a Tavern Pizza with toppings cut into squares
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Rise Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 50 mins
Servings:
4 servings
Yield:
1 (12-inch) pizza
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings servings

Dough:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cold water

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

  • cornmeal, for dusting

Toppings:

  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce, divided (such as Rao’s®)

  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese

  • 1/4 cup drained and sliced pepperoncini salad peppers, or to taste

  • 12 slices pepperoni, or to taste

  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

  • hot honey, for drizzling

  • coarsely chopped fresh basil

Directions

  1. Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a food processor and process until combined, about 3 seconds. With processor running, slowly pour cold water and oil through the food chute and process until dough forms a sticky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

  2. Lighly oil a work surface and set dough ball on top; knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large bowl greased with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.

  3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack in the oven.

  4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently re-shape into a ball. Coat dough ball lightly with flour and flatten into an 8-inch disk using your fingertips. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 12‑inch circle, dusting dough lightly with flour as needed.

  5. Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and transfer dough circle on top. Spread marinara sauce on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Top evenly with mozzarella, pepperoncini, pepperoni slices, and sliced jalapeño.

  6. Carefully transfer pizza onto pizza stone in the preheated oven and bake until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

  7. Remove from oven; drizzle with hot honey and sprinkle with basil.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

325 Calories
14g Fat
38g Carbs
13g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 325
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 976mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 13g 25%
Vitamin C 28mg 31%
Calcium 165mg 13%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 272mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.