The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Three P’s Pizza

Pestopepperonipepperoncinipizza

A peppy pizza with pesto, pepperoni, and pepperoncini is the perfect picker-upper for particularly peculiar days that leave you in a pickle. In other words, if you’ve had a perfectly prickly day, take it out on a mass of dough by slapping it about the kitchen counter and loading it with the following “three p’s” toppings: pesto, pepperoni, and pepperoncini (banana peppers).

The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team learned about these three toppings, as a combination on pizza, during a vacation in Eastern Washington, where it gets very, very hot in the summer, and the last thing you think you want is a piping hot pizza, served in an un-air-conditioned, tiny restaurant. However, when we smelled the pizzas coming from that tiny restaurant, we didn’t care about the heat. We just pulled up a seat.

Nate and Alex were the first to try the “3 P’s” pizza at that restaurant, and whenever we go back, we always order it—but then, I thought: Why wait to go back? Let’s just make it at home.

Also, the live yeast in our refrigerator has to be used at least once a week, or it won’t grow anymore—or something like that—so it’s absolutely necessary—perhaps even urgent—that we make pizza at least once a week.

Here’s the recipe—if you’re pining for a pizza with lots of pizzaz:

For the Dough:

½ cup of live yeast

1 ¼ cups of warm (not hot) water

3 cups of flour

1 tsp salt

Prep the dough:

–Mix the live yeast and the warm water in a bowl together.

–Stir the three cups of flour and the salt together in a separate bowl.

–Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend them with your hands—just until all the ingredients are wet. (The mixture may still look a little crumbly—that’s okay.)

–Leave the mixture to set, covered, in the bowl for a few hours.

Toppings:

–Mozzarella cheese—about one 8-ounce package of shredded mozzarella. (You can use other cheeses as well, such as provolone, or whatever you like.)

–Pepperoni

–Pesto (You can make or your own, or there are plenty of good store-bought options, too.)

–Pepperoncini (mild banana peppers—you can go spicy as well, but since they bake into the pizza, the spicy option can get really spicy)

Assembling and Baking:

–Heat the oven to 450-degrees Fahrenheit.

–Shape the dough into a ball. For the three of us on the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team, I like to divide the ball into three pieces and roll it out into oblong/oval shapes. Then, I place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

–Prick the dough with a fork to allow steam to escape.

–Spread a layer of pesto onto each pizza (anywhere from a few tablespoons to ¼ cup—depending on how much pesto you like).

–Add however many pepperoni and pepperoncini slices you’d like to each pizza.

–Top with as much cheese as you’d like.

–Bake the pizzas on the bottom shelf for five minutes.

–Switch the pizzas to the top shelf of the oven and bake for about 13 minutes.

Results:

Perplexingly perfect. The unusual combination works really well—salty, spicy, garlicky, with a little kick—but not enough to punt your pancreas from Portland to Pennsylvania. Nope, no pancreas punting with this pizza. But to be absolutely safe, you could probably sub out the pepperoncini with bell peppers and still pursue a prosperous paradise of pleasant pizza party nights.

Your Turn: What’s your favorite pizza topping combination?

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Published by ckennedy

Author of the DIY blog: Fixin' Leaks and Leeks. Paper/Rock Writing Consultation, Sole Proprietor.

40 thoughts on “The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Three P’s Pizza”

      1. I don’t even know what a banana pepper is! By the way, I have no idea if it would work out, but Hubs and I will be in Seattle July 4-6. On the 5th, we’ll be doing a makeshift grunge tour. Just wondering if you’d be able to meet us somewhere? Bring a banana pepper. 😉

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    1. I tend to like veggie pizzas too. Back in the 80s, they were putting cream cheese down as a base and loading it with broccoli and cauliflower and cheese–and at first, I loved the novelty of it–and all the flavors–but these days, I prefer either a tomato or pesto base with different vegetables.

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      3. That actually sounds tasty! They have really strange pizzas in the UK–once Ken ordered a “chili pizza and it came with cheese and just a mound of chili in the middle. Breakfast pizza with chopped up hardboiled egg

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  14. I think pizza is the most traditional italian food. I prepare it once a week. My favourite toppings are the most traditional one (mozzarella and tomato) or red onion in very hin slices and salt

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