The Best Homemade Pizza Recipe
With social distancing protocols and limited restaurants open, many of us continue to dine at home. But after two months of quarantine and cooking 99% at home, I've run out of meal ideas. And if I'm completely candid, it seems I have struck a bottomless pit of "cooking un-inspiration."
There have been many times where we nearly resorted to ordering takeout, until one day the idea hit: What if we made homemade pizza? Not only would it save us hundreds of unhealthy fast-food calories and ingredients, but also a generous amount of money. And of course, it would be a super fun activity!
My family has made pizzas in the past but always used store-bought crusts. So the thought of creating pizza from scratch sounded exciting. Would it be time-consuming? Difficult? How long until we’re tossing the dough in the air like a pro? We're clearly not professional chefs, but we figured that at the very least, this would be an exciting experiment.
So we decided to give it a whirl! Between researching recipes online and going off of experience, we were 85% sure our pizzas would be a success. A special thanks to Sally's Baking Addiction for the crust inspiration! As it turned out, the pizza was delicious, and the process was not nearly as complicated as it seemed!
The key to a great pizza crust is to designate an extra few hours to allow the dough to rise without feeling pressure. Also, I recommend poking dents at the bottom of the crust with a fork (before applying sauce and toppings) to ensure that it will not bubble.
If you're a pizza lover, I guarantee you'll love this recipe. Not to mention, you can top it with practically anything you want. Chicken, pineapple, pepperoni, vegetables, you name it! The Pizza World is your oyster. Let's get baking!
Homemade Pizza Recipe
Serving Size - makes two 12 inch pies
Ingredients
1 and 1/3 cups warm water
1 standard packet of instant yeast
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for hands and surface
Cornmeal and a dash of salt for dusting the pan
Toppings (optional)
Pizza tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Fully cooked shredded chicken
Sliced tomatoes
Sauteed onions
Fresh basil
Instructions
Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until it is a “bouncy consistency”. If it bounces back when you poke it with your finger, it is ready.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
Preheat oven to 475°F. Lightly grease a pizza pan with nonstick spray or olive oil. Sprinkle the top lightly with cornmeal for extra crunch and flavor.
When the dough is ready, divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured work surface using a floured rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a 12 inch circle. Lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip or crust around the edges.
Brush the top lightly with olive oil and use a fork to push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling.
Top with your favorite toppings and bake for 12-15 minutes. We topped ours with pizza tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, cooked shredded chicken, sauteed onions, and fresh basil.
Serve immediately.
