This classic Italian pizza is big on flavor and perfect for anyone who likes a bit of heat! Super simple to make and incredibly delicious, this Pizza Diavola with Hot Soppressata will be your new favorite for pizza night!
What is Pizza Diavola?
Pizza Diavola is an Italian pizza that translates to "Devil Pizza" which basically just means that it's spicy! The combination of spicy soppressata and hot peppers gives this pizza it's signature heat and delicious flavor.
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Ingredients
Pizza dough: You can use store bought or homemade pizza dough.
Pizza sauce: A simple pizza sauce using high quality ingredients gives the best flavor.
Mozzarella: I like using a combination of low moisture and fresh mozzarella for this recipe.
Hot Soppressata: You should be able to find hot soppressata at most grocery stores or delis these days.
Calabrian chili peppers: You can use fresh chilies or jarred chilies for this recipe. I prefer to use jarred chopped Calabrian peppers.
Black olives (optional): Black olives are sometimes added to Pizza Diavola. Feel free to add them if you like!
Red pepper flakes (optional): Turn up the heat a little more by added a pinch of red pepper flakes!
Pizza Oven or Home Oven?
You can easily make pizza in both a home oven or a pizza oven, but the techniques and cooking times will vary greatly depending on what you're using. A home oven will typically get up to 500 or 550 degrees F, whereas a pizza oven can reach temps of 900 to 1000 F. If you are using a home oven, I suggest using a pizza steel to get the oven as hot as possible. You can use a pizza stone as well, but I've found steels to be much better! The pizza in these photos was cooked in my Ooni pizza oven, which results in those delicious charred spots and only takes a couple of minutes to cook!
Simple Pizza Sauce
For pizza sauce, simple is BEST. You don't even need to do any cooking! The most important thing is to buy good quality tomatoes. For traditional Neapolitan style pizza, you really only need tomatoes and salt for the sauce, but I like to add a bit of garlic, oregano and olive oil. The tomatoes I reach for most often are these whole peeled tomatoes, or these crushed tomatoes. A bit of this tomato paste adds a lovely richness.
The recipe for pizza sauce below will leave you with leftovers. Use it to make more pizza!
Pizza Making Equipment
Pizza Oven: Of course you don't have to have a pizza oven to make a great pizza, but it helps! I love using my Ooni pizza oven.
Baking steel: I make all of my home oven pizzas using my baking steel. I can't recommend it enough! If you don't have a baking steel (get one), you can use a pizza stone, or a baking sheet in a pinch. The baking steel will hold heat the best, giving you the closest results to a pizza oven, in your home oven.
Pizza peel: After you stretch the dough, you'll transfer it to your pizza peel. This is where you'll add the sauce and toppings and then you'll use the peel to transfer the pizza to the steel or stone. It's tough to get your dough into the oven without a peel. Gotta have one! I like using a wooden peel to launch, and a metal peel to retrieve. For the pizza oven, you'll need a turning peel.
Food processor: Lately I've been liking making my pizza sauce in a food processor instead of by hand. You don't need a food processor, but if you want a less chunky consistency, it helps. I like this one.
Box Grater: It's important to grate your own cheese for pizza because pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents in them and don't melt as well. You'll need a good box grater!
Recipe FAQ
Soppressata is an Italian type of pork salami, most commonly made in Southern Italian regions. You can find hot or sweet variations at most Italian delis.
Technically yes, but it's not the best choice for a pizza oven. Cornmeal burns more easily than semolina and it can leave the pizza with a bitter taste. Semolina provides a nice crunch!
Yes! Many grocery stores sell pizza dough balls that are perfect to use if you're short on time or don't feel like making dough. You can also ask your favorite pizza shop to sell you some!
You can, but I hope you don't! Pizza sauce is so easy to make and it's always better than store bought.
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Pizza Diavola with Hot Soppressata
Equipment
- Pizza steel or pizza oven
Ingredients
- 1 Pizza dough ball
- ½ Cup pizza sauce recipe follows
- 1 Tablespoon jarred chopped Calabrian peppers
- ½ Cup low moisture, whole milk mozzarella grated by hand
- ½ Cup fresh mozzarella torn
- 8 Slices hot soppressata or to taste
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Semolina for dusting
For the pizza sauce
- 1 28 Ounce can whole peeled tomatoes juice reserved
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Garlic clove minced
- ½ Teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the pizza sauce
- Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste to a food processor. Pulse until well combined and desired consistency is reached. I like mine with small chunks, not completely smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved juice to thin it out.
- Transfer the tomato mixture to a bowl and stir in the garlic, olive oil, oregano, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Home oven instructions
- Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator 2 hours ahead of time in order for it to come to temperature. You want the dough to be around 65 degrees when it's time to stretch it.
- Place a baking steel or pizza stone inside your oven and pre heat at 500 degrees for at least 30 mins.
- Dust a clean counter top or work surface with flour and a bit of semolina. Place your pizza dough on the surface and stretch it into a 12 inch circle. Dust the pizza peel with semolina and transfer the dough to the peel.
- Quickly top the dough with sauce, Calabrian peppers, mozzarella, and soppressata.
- Transfer the topped dough from the pizza peel to the baking steel and cook for 3 minutes. Then, using the peel, rotate the pizza 180 degrees and cook for another 3 minutes. Finish the pizza under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, until desired browning is achieved.
- Remove the pizza to a cooling rack for a few minutes so that the cheese can set before slicing.
Pizza oven instructions
- Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator 2 hours ahead of time in order for it to come to temperature. You want the dough to be around 65 degrees when it's time to stretch it.
- Pre heat your pizza oven on high for 30 minutes before using to make sure the stone is heated through.
- Dust a clean counter top or work surface with flour and a bit of semolina. Place your pizza dough on the surface and stretch it into a 12 inch circle. Dust the pizza peel with semolina and transfer the dough to the peel.
- Quickly top the dough with sauce, Calabrian peppers, mozzarella, and soppressata.
- Turn the flame down to low and then transfer the topped dough from the pizza peel to the pizza oven. Let the bottom set for about 30 seconds to a minute and then turn. Continue cooking, turning every 20 seconds until the bottom is crisp and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pizza to a cooling rack for a few minutes so that the cheese can set before slicing.
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