A few years ago I was craving pizza. I have suffered the misfortune of getting a vegan pizza from a local place, veggie and cheez. The cheez they used tasted – pardon the gross image – like snot. I quickly realized my craving wouldn’t be fulfilled unless I made my own damn pizza. I set out to make a solid vegan dupe for pepperoni and after a lot of tinkering, I did it! It’s spicy, chewy, and flavorful and the individual rounds of pepperoni get crispy around the outside. It satisfied my craving and I hope it satisfies you, too!
As of 2023, I’m still working on a mozzarella you can make at home with tapioca starch (casava flour). Stay tuned!
Ingredients:
- 14 Oz. Block Firm Tofu
- 1 1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tsp. Ground Mustard Seed
- 1 Tsp. Fennel Seeds
- 2 Tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 Tsp. Sugar or 1 Tsp. Agave
- 1/4 Tsp. Anise – Ground
- Cooking Oil Spray
Equipment:
- Parchment Paper – 1-2 sheets OR Silpat (Save the earth?)
- Flat baking sheet (like no raised sides so you can roll it out)
- Shot glass or 1″ diameter round cookie cutter
- Spice grinder or Mortar & Pestle
- Food Processor OR you can mix in a bowl it’s just gonna be a LOT of mixing. I would recommend using a hand mixer for the tofu before you add spices so it’s like whipped)
Directions:
- Press tofu* (see note if you’ve never done this before)
- In a mortar & pestle or spice grinder, grind fennel & anise seeds until lightly crushed. Put aside
- In mortar or molcahete, grind anise to powder. Put aside.
- Combine all seasonings in food processor and grind a few times.
- Crumble tofu into food processor and blend until one combined dough ball.
- Prep baking sheet (flat is best for rolling) with parchment paper sprayed with cooking oil. THIS IS IMPORTANT
- Spread mixture over parchment paper, being sure to re-oil under mixture if it’s sticking. I cannot express enough how much you don’t want it to stick. It’s hell to deal with.
- Spray top of mixture with cooking oil and place saran wrap or another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll out to 1/4″ thickness. Or thicker if you want some meaty peps.
- Bake at 400F for 20 minutes until golden brown. THIS IS JUST THE FIRST BAKE DON’T EAT YET.
- Once slightly cooled, use shot glass or cookie cutter to cut your circular pepperoni.**
- Make a pizza and use these in place of meat pepperoni! They should cook for at least another 10-15 minutes to truly mimic pepperoni.
*Note: If you haven’t pressed tofu before, it’s easy. Drain tofu package, press with hands until it stops dripping, wrap tightly in clean dish towel (to prevent tofu breaking) and place under heavy pan/small stack of books (approx 4-6 lb) for 20-30 minutes.
**To avoid waste, I’ve also just cut them into 1″ squares or used the extra from cutting into circles and crumbled it for salads.
Unused peps will keep in fridge 4-5 days or one month in the freezer. Thaw at room temp for at least 30 minutes before using if frozen.
