How to Make The Best Homemade Pizza

Did you know that in the time it takes for you to receive a delivered pizza, you could have made your own AND already devoured it. No kidding! While delivery may seem more convenient to some, once you learn how to make your own pizza, you’ll likely never call those other guys again.

The key is the dough. Once you get that right, you’ll have a perfect pizza every time. So how do you make proper pizza dough? You’ll need 4 cups of all-purpose flour plus a little extra for dusting your work area, 2 packets of active dry yeast, 1½ cups of warm water, 2 teaspoons of coarse salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and ¼ cup of olive oil plus extra for brushing.

Believe it or not, it only takes those few simple things to make the best-tasting pizza ever. And the method is so simple too. Just pour the warm water in a large bowl, add the yeast and let it stand for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy. Then, whisk the sugar, oil, and salt into the yeast mixture. Add the flour and stir until dough forms (note: it should be sticky). Place the dough in an oiled bowl and brush the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough doubles in size (usually about 1 hour).

When the dough is ready and you are too, you’ll want to knead it a few times on a floured surface before you roll it out into the shape you want your pizza to be. And then comes the fun part…the toppings!

Making pizza is almost as fun as eating it because you get to make it the way you want it. Do you like extra cheese? Then go for it! The possibilities are completely limitless when it comes to pizza. There are no rules here, except perhaps to choose something you love.

Hiring a Pizza Caterer
At this point if you’re thinking that you might not be capable of cooking a complete set of pizzas for your friends then there always the option of hiring a pizza caterer to help out. Whilst it might take the fun element out of preparing something yourself you might find a caterer might be a bit more practical. Equipped with Stone Baked ovens you will find that pizza specialist caterers may do a better job using their experience and fresh ingredients to provide a complete catering solution at your event. Whilst making pizza just for yourself is challenging and fun, serving a large group of people can be difficult. When choosing to hire a pizza caterer you can always observe what they do and learn from their professional chefs.

If you’re still game for creating your own pizza then read on and decide whether a traditional, veggie or healthy pizza is right for you.

Choosing your style of Pizza
You can go for a traditional style with tomato sauce, cheese, basil and fresh tomatoes. Or you can pile on the meats for a rich and hearty pizza. Veggies can also be a fantastic way to make your pizza healthy, but be careful with watery vegetables like zucchini as they tend to release a bit of water when they cook which will lead to a soggy center. And do remember that some toppings, like sausage, will need to be cooked prior to being added to your pizza to ensure it cooks through. Meanwhile, fresh greens like arugula or basil bode much better if you add them to your pizza right as you take it out of the oven. The greens will wilt perfectly thanks to the residual heat from the cooked pizza and bring out their best taste.

You don’t need anything fancy to bake your pizza with either. If you have a pizza stone, great! But if not, you can just use a baking sheet. The key, no matter what you are using, is high heat. Heat your oven as high as it will go, be it 500°F or 550°F. Or higher! Be sure to preheat for a minimum of 30 minutes before baking your pizza. Bake for 5 minutes and then rotate your pizza. Bake for another 5 minutes or until your crust is golden, and then enjoy your pizza creation!