Homemade Pizza
Pizza -- it’s filling, it’s delicious, and it’s kinda fun to stuff with since eating the whole thing is a nice concrete goal. It’s also pretty simple to make from scratch, and because homemade pizza less greasy than takeout pizza, maybe you’ll be able to fit an extra slice or two. ♡
[Recipe under the cut]
The Method:
1. Combine 3/4 cup of warm water (it should definitely be warm, but still cool enough to comfortably touch) and 1.5 tsp of white sugar in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve.
2. Add in a 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) of active dry yeast*. Stir in with a fork, then leave for ~10 minutes until the liquid is foamy.
3. If you desire, add a dash each of garlic powder and dried basil. Then add 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir.
4. Add 2 cups of flour, mixing between each cup. You can use a wooden spoon, but I often find that at a certain point it’s better to just get in there with your hands and knead the dough together in the bowl. The dough should eventually begin to form a sticky but cohesive ball. If it doesn’t form a ball, add a bit more flour. If it feels too dry -- tbh it’s probably not, just keep mixing! But if you’re absolutely sure it is, add a tiny bit more water.
5. Brush the inside of another large bowl with olive oil and transfer your dough ball into it. Roll the dough around to coat it with oil, then cover with plastic wrap. Leave until doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425 F.
6. Lightly dust a clean patch of countertop with flour. Tip the risen dough out (it will deflate -- that’s fine!) and knead it a few times. It should feel smooth and elastic.
7. Now it’s time to roll the dough out. Ideally, you’ll have a rolling pin for this, but in my day I’ve used wine bottles, cans, sturdy glasses... just make sure it’s clean. The dough should roll out to be about 12″ in diameter, but no need to be precise. Just roll to your desired crust thickness.
8. Poke a few holes in the crust with a fork. Now transfer the dough onto your pizza pan or baking sheet. If you wanna be real fancy, you can dust the pan with a little corn meal before you do this -- that gives the bottom of the pizza that lovely texture you find in some restaurants.
9. Time to decorate! Add your favorite sauce, mozzarella cheese, and toppings. Some recommendations:
tomato sauce with sausage chunks/slices and diced red pepper
tomato sauce with pepperoni and pineapple
pesto with cherry tomatoes and cooked chicken breast
fresh basil on literally any pizza (add to the pizza when it’s just about baked, so it’ll only be in the oven for a few minutes)
my brother swears by adding a drizzle of barbecue sauce to the top of his pizza ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ maybe you’ll like it too
10. Bake your pizza for ~15 minutes. Honestly I never time the bake, I just check it when I start to smell delicious pizza and remove when the crust is golden brown.
11. Enjoy!
* If you have instant yeast rather than active dry yeast, you’ll start your dough a little differently. Mix all the dry ingredients (yeast included) together, then add the water and oil. Continue from step 4.