Hup's Pizza
Tribute Recipe

The little green-and-red building on Hampton.

John and I grew up in the same northwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, a stone's throw from Hup's. Through the 1980s and '90s, it was our go-to. The place was a small red-and-green building on the corner of 54th and Hampton with no seating, just a little window where you placed your order and picked it up. They delivered too, and reliably. Even now, whenever either of us was back in town, we'd stop in for a pie.

Fast-forward to 2025. Even though we'd both moved away (I'm in Denver, John was in Tennessee), we still stayed in touch. Not long ago, John told me he'd been working on a knock-off recipe for our beloved Hup's. Naturally, I was intrigued. It turned out he'd discovered the exact sauce Hup's uses is available online, from Amazon no less. I looked it up. The ingredient list was almost embarrassingly simple (tomato, basil, onion, garlic) and I couldn't help but wonder how something so basic could be the backbone of Milwaukee's most addictive pizza.

As it turns out, there are a few other secrets behind that pizza we had to figure out. The sauce matters. But it's only one piece of a larger puzzle.

Sixty years at 54th and Hampton.

Hup's was established by Gene Latcher in 1964 and later taken over by his daughter Lynda Rogers. Remarkably, it has remained almost exactly the same for over sixty years. The menu is refreshingly simple: pizza, in 12-inch or 14-inch. The only other item is garlic bread, with or without cheese.

Pricing is straightforward. A small cheese is $14, a large $18. Additional toppings run $1.75 on smalls and $2.00 on larges. There are no specialty pizzas, just the basics, done exceptionally well. To order, you call 414-461-7510, the same number for at least forty years. Most locals can recite it by heart.

A big part of Hup's success is its super-efficient, professional service. The staff is pleasant, respectful, and reliable, whether you're picking up or getting delivery. Timeliness is the hallmark. When you pick up your order, you know exactly what you're going to get, and it's never a disappointment.

"The most popular pizza is probably sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and onions." A Longtime Hup's Employee

It's also my personal favorite. If you want to experience what Hup's fans rave about, that combination of toppings is the way to go. A plain cheese or even just a pepperoni pizza won't do it justice. The real magic of Hup's comes from the sausage. It just hits different.

"It just hits different."

Simpler than you'd think. Almost suspiciously so.

Hup's uses canned Chicago Style Pizza Sauce with Basil from Battaglia Distributing. You can find these large 109-oz cans on Amazon at a reasonable price. If you're aiming for exact authenticity, go ahead and order it.

However, I quickly discovered that the sauce itself isn't the real secret. It's made with the same basic ingredients you'll find in most pizza sauces. An instant no-cook version works just as well. Stir everything together and you won't be disappointed. Here's a simple homemade version that gets you close:

Thin to medium. Slightly crispy. Balanced.

In a mixer, blender, or food processor, whisk the dry ingredients together. Then switch to the paddle.

Slowly pour the water and oil mixture into the dry ingredients while mixing on low speed for about 90 seconds, until the dough comes together. It should be slightly sticky. If it isn't, add a teaspoon of water, mix, and check again. Keep adding a teaspoon at a time until you hit that slightly-sticky texture. This is different here at high altitude so add more water if needed. If it gets too gooey, just add more flour until it returns to sticky. Don't worry too much about getting this part perfect.

Once the dough has come together, remove it from the bowl and knead by hand for about 30 seconds, just enough to form a ball. Don't overwork it. Lightly coat the ball with olive oil, place it in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about 2½ hours, or until doubled.

Here is where the magic lives.

I called the shop and asked the specific question: "I haven't had the pizza in a few years. Is the sausage still the same recipe as the old days?" The answer: "No, the guy that used to bring the sausage passed away and there's a new guy now." Who? They didn't know. So the mystery continues, but that's a pretty good indication the sausage is made locally, not mass-produced by a wholesaler like the sauce.

I tried the recipe below and it was incredible. The minute I smelled it cooking, I was convinced this was Hup's, or really darn close, if not better. Pay attention to the details: freshness, toasting, crushing, coarse grinding, seasoning. They all matter.

Toast the fennel.

The easiest way is to fold a small tray out of aluminum foil and put it in a toaster oven. Stop the toaster the moment you start to see smoke. Do not burn the seeds. Remove any that scorched, drop the rest in a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin.

Grind your own.

Store-bought ground pork can be grainy and greasy, far from Hup's signature chunky texture. To get it right, I grind my own on a coarse setting using lean cuts of pork. My preference is pork sirloin chops with very little fat. The difference is immediate: perfect texture without excess grease.

Mix and rest.

Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix everything for 60 to 90 seconds, until well combined. For best results, let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Overnight is ideal.

Assembling the pie, Hup's-style.

This dough recipe makes enough for two small-to-medium pizzas, or one large. You'll have plenty of leftover sauce and sausage.

1. Roll the dough Roll it out really thin. Make sure the bottom is well-coated with a liberal sprinkle of flour and cornmeal. The cornmeal is key. It's a signature of Hup's pizza and it keeps the crust from sticking to the stone or peel.
2. Preheat the stone Preheat your pizza stone to 500°F. Yes, really. Let it heat for at least five minutes before cooking. This is key for the crust texture and the toasting of the toppings.
3. Prepare the crust Place the dough on the peel, well-floured side down, adding a liberal amount of corn meal. Test by giving it a few shakes. The dough should slide. If not, add more flour, cornmeal, or both. Spread a few tablespoons of sauce evenly across the entire crust, all the way to the edge. No bare crust. The sauce should be thin and even.

4. Add the sausage Drop small blobs of uncooked sausage across the pizza, varying in size between a nickel and a quarter, densely spread. You want some in every bite.

5. Add the cheese Use whole-milk, coarse-ground mozzarella. The extra fat makes it stretchy and helps achieve that crispy, browned finish. Sprinkle generously, covering the entire surface, even the edges. We're aiming for a cheese-filled edge, not a plain crust.

6. Season Lightly sprinkle Italian seasoning across the top for extra flavor. I've confirmed the "magic sprinkles" contain oregano, so use that as a minimum.
7. Add toppings Now the fun part. The classics available at Hup's:

A note on the vegetables: the onions are white, not yellow or red. Mushrooms, olives, pineapple, and jalapeños are all canned, not fresh.

Five hundred degrees. No less.

1. Transfer to the stone With a quick, confident motion, slide your pizza onto the preheated stone. Make sure you've used enough flour and cornmeal to prevent sticking, otherwise you'll have a mess. This is a basic pizza-making skill you'll want before attempting anything beyond frozen pizza.

2. Bake Close the oven and let it cook at 500°F for 6 to 8 minutes. A properly baked Hup's-style pizza will have crispy, slightly browned edges (maybe even a little burnt, but not too much), and the cheese will have a beautiful golden-brown, crispy finish.
3. Final touches Pull it from the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes before cutting. And remember, cut it into squares, not slices.

At the time of writing, America's Test Kitchen has a YouTube video that explains the stone-pizza process very well: youtube.com/watch?v=B-NZ0kIexkc

A few years of practice.

What follows is a small gallery of attempts. Some closer to Hup's than others, all delicious. The full combination became known in our kitchen as "The Perfection": sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, olives.

Still go, when you're in town.

I'm a loyal fan and will always support the shop when I'm back in Milwaukee. This recipe is simply a way to keep the pizza love alive for us ex-pats living far from that green-and-red building. Please do support Hup's with your business at every opportunity.

And if you knew John, or if you're just another Milwaukee kid who grew up on Hup's and wandered here looking for a piece of home, thanks for reading. Go make a pizza. Cut it into squares.