Pepperoni Basil Pizza Torte

We are in that weird in between Winter and Spring season limbo. Sporadic crocus peeps out from the ground and the trees have the beginning of buds. However, the weather does not exactly feel like full on spring and traces of winter still linger. My kitchen veers between churning out warming soups and fresh spring flavor. Consequently, I found this Pepperoni Basil Pizza Torte the perfect fun dinner dish for any season.

This Pepperoni Basil Pizza Torte consists of four layers of pizza dough. I used store bought but you can easily make your own. In between, on top of garlic tomato sauce, I stacked pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil and oregano. Also, I used a good quality jarred tomato sauce. Alternatively, if you are a fan of homemade sauce, by all means, use it.

My resulting Torte looks a little goofy on top. As you can see, there is a gap between the top layer and the edges. A good tip is to roll out one of the pizza dough circle layers a bit larger than the other three. Consequently, this will ensure the “seal” on the top of the torte will be smooth.

The ingredients for this Pepperoni Basil Pizza Torte are completely flexible. Use a different cheese variety or a combination of several as well as different meats, sausages, herbs and green. Add ham, fresh spinach, and Swiss cheese for a completely different experience. Cheddar, Jack, and chorizo would also be great sprinkled with sliced jalapeño peppers. Us the recipe as a pantry cleaner, adding leftovers from your fridge and cabinets.

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Pepperoni Basil Pizza Torte

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Pizza

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 8

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 2 packages pizza crust dough
• 1 cup torn basil leaves
• 1+1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup sliced pepperoni
• 3 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface.

4. Use the bottom of a 9” springform pan to trace our 4 circles. Turn the bottom of the pan over and stretch the circle over the pan to create an even round shape. Pull the circle a bit bigger than the pan as they will shrink while baking.

   
5. Place the dough circles on the baking sheets.
   

6. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, they will have puffed up. Use an oven mitt to gently deflate them.

7. Grease the ring of the springform pan. Replace it on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets
8. Roll out the rest of the dough into a long rectangle and press it into the sides of the springform pan. Pull the dough down all around so it makes a trim around the parchment paper inside.
   
9. Place one of the cooked dough circles into the springform ring.
   
10. Spread 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom. Layer 1/3 cup of the pepperoni on top and then1/2 cup of the cheese. Top with 1/2 cup of the basil and 1 tablespoon of the oregano.
    
11. Place the second baked dough circle on top and repeat the above.
12. Place the third baked dough circle on top, spread the rest of the sauce on top, the rest of the pepperoni and then the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle the fresh oregano on top. Fold the dough stuck to the sides of the pan over to create an edge.
    
13. Top the torte with the last dough circle.
14. Place in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes.
15. Check the torte after 20 minutes, if the top is becoming too dark, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
16. At the 35 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake for the remaining 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

17. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Remove the torte from the ring and transfer to a serving plate. Cut and serve warm.

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