Pepperoni pizza is so popular, delicious and original in flavor that it deserves a dedicated article. Old fashioned pepperoni and regular pepperoni create two different recipes. And here we are to explore both.
In a good way, it was supposed to be a laudatory ode, almost a hymn to pizza, but we will have to limit ourselves to a small article in which we will tell you how this dish is prepared, who invented Pepperoni pizza, and even what kind of cheese is used for this pizza according to ancient traditions.
Who Came Up With Pepperoni Pizza?
Centuries ago, pizza was a common dish for the poor. The pizza shape was invented when the peasants used the dough cake as a plate, putting all the leftover food on it, and baked it. There was no single recipe, and the filling of the pizza depended on what was in stock.
Unfortunately, the name of that glorious worker who was the first to bake Pizza Diabola in the oven (namely, Pepperoni is called in the south of Italy for its sharp, fragrant, and spicy taste) has sunk into centuries, no doubt he was an outstanding culinary specialist and chef in the soul.
Only one thing is known for sure – from the south of Italy, this pizza migrated with Italian immigrants to America, where it gained second birth and became so popular that it became considered a national American dish.
What Is Traditional Pepperoni Made From?
There are two types of pepperoni known as Old World pepperoni pizza, also known as traditional pepperoni, and American style. Both of them are from America. Old World pepperoni slices curl around the edges, while American or New World style edges remain flat. It is also known as “sausage pepperoni”.
At first glance, it may seem that the pepperoni from the Old World pepperoni pizza is not tasty at all, but it is not. Old World pepperoni is a higher quality pepperoni with a brighter flavor and made using less industrial processing techniques.
How Old World pepperoni gets a bowl shape
The rounded edges of Old World pepperoni come from two things:
First, it is served in thicker slices compared to American-style pepperoni. This means that there is a large temperature difference between the bottom and top of the pepperoni slice. The top heats up, begins to shrink, and pulls the edges up, creating a classic bowl shape.
Slicing the sausage into thin and equal circles is very important. Make sure your knife is sharp enough. Something about sharpening knives and pizza cutters can be found here. Although already thinly sliced pepperoni is also available.
Secondly, Old World pepperoni uses a different type of casing, as it uses lamb intestines to make the sheep gut casing, while American-style pepperoni usually has artificial casings formed using collagen.
Old World vs. American-style pepperoni: the difference in taste
Old World pepperoni has a flavor that is very different from regular pepperoni due to the way it is prepared. The reason for this is the curing of the pepperoni. American-style sausage fermentation is done using only lactic acid, while Old World-style sausage fermentation is done with blending.
CNC slows down the canning process and this gives Old-World pepperoni more time to develop richer and more complex flavors. This gives it a darker color, deep red or maroon, whereas the American style has a hint of orange. A layer of mold develops on the casing of an Old World pepperoni during the curing process.
The American style tastes less spicy, while the Old-World pepperoni is known for its smoky flavor due to the chili and paprika used in making this sausage. Old world pepperoni as a pizza topping is smaller compared to the American style.
What A Strange Word… Pepperoni!
What is Pepperoni? Pepperoni is an Italian word that means a small capsicum red pepper.
At first, peppers were called that, then they began to call it a hard, spicy sausage made from a mixture of beef and pork, which has a pronounced peculiar taste.
Pepperoni sausage was famous for being able to be stored for more than a month at room temperature, which means that it could help out a poor Italian peasant by supplementing his meager supply of meat. In order for the Italian salami to be stored even better, the same pepper, garlic, and various seasonings were added there in large quantities, which made it very spicy.
Subsequently, pepperoni became an important ingredient in pizza, which took its name from the sausage. It has become the next pizza to deserve the title of one of the most popular and well-known pizzas, after Margherita, Four Cheese pizza, Tuscany and Calzone.
Pepperoni sausages have become an integral part of Detroit and Chicago deep dish, DiGiorno pizza, and many others.
By the way, do you know how to pronounce the word “pepperoni” like a real Italian? Listen to this short video:
Classic Recipe
The classic Pepperoni recipe requires the right preparation of the dough. Here you need a soft, elastic structure, at the same time, it must hold the filling. For the dough, sugar, and dry yeast is mixed, pouring everything with water. Within 20 minutes, the mass should begin to ferment.
Next, salt, and oil is added to taste, they are combined with the yeast mixture, and the ingredients are mixed. The classic recipe requires more thorough kneading, and the elastic mass itself should rest for half an hour.
To remove the skin from tomatoes, the tomatoes are dipped in boiling water for a few seconds, after peeling, they must be chopped in a blender, and combined with the rest of the sauce, except for spices. The mass languishes for 10 minutes on minimum heat, after cooling it is combined with spices.
You can sprinkle spices on top, then cheese and circles of spicy sausage are located. Baking takes about 10 minutes in the oven at 480 degrees Fahrenheit. You can take regular pepperoni, beef pepperoni, etc.
The Difference Between Old-World Pepperoni And American Style Pepperoni
Of course, both types of pizza are Italian American creations, it’s far from obvious from the names. Old-world pepperoni refers to a pizza with curled pepperoni, so the sausages become more crispy and give off a bacon like a flavor.
What Makes Old-World Pepperoni Curl?
All due to the fact that the upper part of the sausages, due to the thickness, heats up more and curls.
In addition, there is a difference in the casing. The American style uses artificial casing. The old-world pepperoni most often contains pepperoni sausages in sheep gut casing.
Natural casings react more strongly to high heat, resulting in a curly sausage.
How Else Can You Use Old-World Pepperoni
Old-world pepperoni can be used for more than just pizza toppings. It is perfect as an appetizer on a plate with different types of cheese or other Italian delis. You can also make a wonderful sandwich out of it using any ingredients your heart desires, such as cheese, bell pepper, olives, fresh lettuce, and so on.
A Few Tips for Baking Your Own Pizza
If you want your pizza topping to have vibrant spiciness choose genuine pork pepperoni or beef pepperoni or old-world salami that contains red peppers.
If you cook your pizza on a pizza stone, remember to lay parchment paper.
If you want pepperoni edges curled choose a natural casing and make slices thicker.
After all, you can add anything you want to the pizza topping. That’s what makes American pizza. Add any type of cheese that will melt, cured beef, cured pork, bell peppers, etc.
Old-World Pepperoni Recipe
If you are a big fan of this dish, you need to know how to cook it yourself. Here is an old-world pepperoni pizza recipe.
To make an old fashioned pepperoni pizza, you will need:
- 1.5 cups warm water
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 4 cups flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Pepperoni – to taste
- Grated cheese – to taste
- Pepper – to taste
- Sauce – to taste
Pepperoni pizza cooking process:
- Mix yeast with warm water and leave for a few minutes.
- Add butter, flour, sugar, and salt and knead the dough.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave it in a cool place for 30 minutes.
- Take out and knead the dough again.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease the pizza mold.
- Form a round cake from the dough using a rolling pin, and spread it with sauce.
- Put the topping and sprinkle with cheese.
- Cook in the oven until golden brown crust.
And this video shows how to make pepperoni sausage. Who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to make your own salami.
How To Cook Old Fashioned Pepperoni Pizza: FAQ
What is the difference between pepperoni and old-world pepperoni?
American pepperoni is redder and has an artificial casing. Old-world pepperoni has an orange hue and a casing made from sheep intestines.
What is the pepperoni that curls up? What is traditional pepperoni?
Old-world pepperoni curls, which is due to their thickness and natural casing. Traditional pepperoni is a hard sausage made from pork and beef with red hot pepper added in the process of making.
Is pepperoni the name of pizza or sausage?
Actually, it’s both. Pepperoni is pizza cooked with spicy salami and salami itself, which consists of cured beef and pork.
What kind of cheese should I add when cooking this dish?
Usually, mozzarella, but you can add parmesan as well and just any kind of cheese that will melt.
What are the three different kinds of pepperoni?
European.
Consists of beef and pork (bacon can also be used). Consists of cayenne and paprika peppers.
South American.
Includes poultry, horse, or donkey meat. For spiciness different varieties of pepper are used.
Italian.
Consists of beef (30% by weight of meat) and pork (70% by weight of meat). Rarely cooked only from beef. From peppers, they take cayenne and white.
What are the features of the correct cooking of Pepperoni?
The filling of the classic “Pepperoni” consists of mozzarella, pepperoni salami, and tomato sauce. The main thing is that all ingredients are taken in equal proportions. Thanks to this, the finished pizza is very fragrant and juicy.
Rolled out and placed on a baking sheet, the dough is first generously coated with tomato sauce. After that, grated cheese is placed on it, and circles of spicy salami are placed on top. A baking sheet with pizza is placed in the oven or oven and baked at a high temperature until cooked till golden brown crust.
Where to eat pepperoni?
You can cook pepperoni with your own hands at home according to the classic pizza recipe with thin pizza dough, tomato sauce, cheese and sausage, replacing the usual sausage with pepperoni salami, or order it at any pizzeria, because it is very popular!
What does pepperoni taste like?
The pronounced taste of Pepperoni is impossible to describe if you have never tasted pepperoni yourself. However, try to imagine the taste of savory sausages, contrasting against the background of delicate mozzarella cheese, which combines tomato sauce.
And of course, the main feature of Pepperoni is the pleasant and light spiciness of red pepper, which is part of the dried sausage of the same name. By the way, Pepperoni is popular not only among lovers of “hot” but also those who are quite indifferent to spicy food.
Final Thoughts Old Fashioned Pepperoni
Old fashioned pepperoni, The history of pepperoni is not as obvious as it seems. It is partly an American invention, though Italians brought the recipe to the New World. Sausages can be different, but what they have in common is spiciness. Today, restaurants and fast food outlets offer a variety of menu options. It became difficult to surprise people, especially the very picky ones.
The Daily Meal has ranked The 10 Best Pepperoni Pizzas In America. Restaurants are trying to outdo each other, and it’s worth a look.
It is worth mentioning that delicacies are considered to be a model. Pepperoni is also called “spicy pork sausage”, invented in Italy. The product has gained popularity and recognition around the world thanks to American chefs and Italian migrants that brought this traditional recipe along with them across the Ocean.
