Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line two large baking trays with baking parchment — this prevents sticking and makes clean-up a breeze.

Pat the beef pepperoni slices dry with kitchen paper. You’ll notice the paper absorbing a surprising amount of orange-tinted fat; removing this excess moisture ensures the chips turn crisp rather than steaming in the oven.

In a mixing bowl, toss the slices with olive oil, flaky salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Use your hands to gently coat each slice — you should see the spices clinging to the surface and smell the warm, smoky aroma rising from the bowl.

Arrange the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking trays. Leave a small gap between each slice — the pepperoni will shrink as it cooks, but overcrowding traps steam and produces limp, greasy chips rather than crisp ones.

Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the trays. At this point, the edges will look darker and the surface will appear lightly blistered; the kitchen should smell intensely of roasted meat and spices.

Continue baking for another 3–5 minutes, watching closely. When done, the chips should be deep golden brown with a slightly darker rim, and they’ll feel firm to the touch. Remove them the moment you see any slice turning dark brown at the centre — they can burn quickly in the final minute.

Let the chips rest on the tray for 5 minutes. You’ll hear a faint crackling sound as they cool; this is the steam escaping and the structure setting. During this rest, they will firm up considerably, so don’t panic if they feel slightly pliable straight from the oven.

If using Parmesan, sprinkle it over the hot chips immediately after resting. The residual heat will melt the cheese into tiny, crispy patches that adhere to the surface. Let them cool completely before storing.