Cheesy Homemade Pizza
I love pizza.
I could eat pizza every day.
Pizza is delicious.
I've never eaten a pizza I didn't like.
If you couldn't tell, pizza is one of my all time favorite foods. We had pizza every week growing up and so I get very sad if I don't get it on a fairly regular basis. Over the last couple years I have started making my own pizza once in a while. I think it's fun to do and tastes pretty delicious. This will definitely not be my only homemade pizza post.
I have learned a few things about pizza making over the years, here are some of my tips. I welcome any other advice that you might have:
Note: Here is the recipe I use as printed, but I don't follow it exactly. I usually use instant yeast so I can throw it right in with the flour. Also, I sometimes add a little more salt and olive oil, just my preference, it's a pretty forgiving dough, so just do what you like!
Pizza Crust
From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Ingredients
In a small bowl, sprinkle sugar and yeast over warm water; stir with a fork until yeast and sugar dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In a food processor, pulse flour and table salt to combine. Add yeast mixture and oil; pulse until mixture comes together but is still slightly tacky. Dough should pull away cleanly from your fingers after it's squeezed. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead four or five times, until a smooth ball forms.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
Punch down dough. Fold dough back onto itself four or five times, then turn smooth side up. Replace plastic wrap; let dough rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
Punch down dough; turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide dough into two equal pieces. Knead each piece four or five times, then form a smooth ball. Return on ball to oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Pat remaining ball into a flattened disk; cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes.
The dough is now ready for use, go wild!
(Alternately, the dough can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day; before using, let it come to room temperature. If freezing, dough should be shaped and wrapped well in plastic first. Thaw completely in fridge.)
I could eat pizza every day.
Pizza is delicious.
I've never eaten a pizza I didn't like.
Cheese + Bread + Tomatoes = LOVE
I have learned a few things about pizza making over the years, here are some of my tips. I welcome any other advice that you might have:
- While a pizza stone will make the best crust, a cookie sheet pre-heated in the oven does a decent job.
- Crank your oven up as hot as it can possible go (mine goes to 550), and let it heat up that cookie sheet for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Make the pizza on a piece of parchment paper. When you're ready to put it in the oven, lift up the parchment paper place it, pizza and all, on the super hot pizza sheet.
- Just keep an eye on it and pull it out when the crust is light brown and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown in spots-when it looks good to you. This will probably take less than 10 minutes.
- Let it sit a few minutes before cutting in, so the cheese has time to set slightly.
- Eat and enjoy!
Shape the dough, it turns out looking different every time
Grate up some mozzarella
Heat up some sauce
Spread it on
Ready for the best part!
I love cheese
So delicious, I could seriously eat this every day
Pizza Crust
From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Ingredients
- 1 c warm water (about 110 degrees)
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
- 14 oz (about 2 3/4 c) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
- Cornmeal for dusting
In a small bowl, sprinkle sugar and yeast over warm water; stir with a fork until yeast and sugar dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In a food processor, pulse flour and table salt to combine. Add yeast mixture and oil; pulse until mixture comes together but is still slightly tacky. Dough should pull away cleanly from your fingers after it's squeezed. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead four or five times, until a smooth ball forms.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
Punch down dough. Fold dough back onto itself four or five times, then turn smooth side up. Replace plastic wrap; let dough rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
Punch down dough; turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide dough into two equal pieces. Knead each piece four or five times, then form a smooth ball. Return on ball to oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Pat remaining ball into a flattened disk; cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes.
The dough is now ready for use, go wild!
(Alternately, the dough can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day; before using, let it come to room temperature. If freezing, dough should be shaped and wrapped well in plastic first. Thaw completely in fridge.)