A regional pizza style with cup-and-char pepperoni (the rounds curl up and char at the edges), a slightly thicker crust than New York style and Buffalo Sahlen's-brand cup pepperoni from Western New York.

Buffalo-style pizza developed alongside the city's wings and Italian-American culture, with La Nova (1957) and Bocce Club Pizza (Bailey Avenue, 1959 location) the canonical homes. The cup-and-char pepperoni is the regional signature: the small cured pepperoni rounds curl into cups and char at the edges in the high-heat oven.

Where to eat Buffalo-style pizza (cup-and-char pepperoni) in Buffalo

3 editor picks for Buffalo-style pizza (cup-and-char pepperoni) in Buffalo, ranked by editorial score. All Buffalo signature dishes · Buffalo-style pizza (cup-and-char pepperoni) across every city.

Make it at home

Serves 12 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 cup tomato pizza sauce
  • 8 oz low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
  • 2 oz Romano cheese, grated
  • 4 oz Sahlen's cup-and-char pepperoni, sliced (or any small-diameter dry-cured pepperoni)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Pinch of dried oregano

Method

  1. Heat oven to highest setting (typically 500 F or 260 C) with a pizza stone or steel inside, for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Stretch dough to a 12-inch round on a floured peel.
  3. Spread sauce thinly, leaving a 1-inch border.
  4. Sprinkle Romano first, then mozzarella across the surface.
  5. Arrange pepperoni rounds on top, slightly spaced so they cup as they cook.
  6. Slide onto the hot stone and bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is deep golden and the pepperoni edges curl and char.
  7. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle oregano over the top before slicing.

Editor tip. Use the smallest-diameter pepperoni you can find. The cup-and-char shape is what makes this Buffalo-style and not New York-style.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.