Homemade Pizza
Homemade Pizza
Biting into a chewy, saucy, and cheesy slice of pizza is one
of life’s greatest pleasures. Lucky for us, it’s also one that’s easily
achieved at home—no delivery fees required! With simple ingredients and a
little bit of patience (hot tip: make your components ahead of time), you’ll be
on your way to homemade pizza that might be even better than your local pie
shop. Best part? Just like with baking bread or making your own pasta dough,
the more you do it, the better and more creative you can get. Here’s what you
need to know.
Let’s talk ingredients:
We’re big fans of homemade everything, but we also understand
that not everyone has time to make their pizza dough AND sauce AND toppings
from scratch. For those times, we recommend doing a combo—make your sauce and
shred your own cheese, but buy your dough, or vice versa.
The dough:
We experimented with a variety of proof times before
ultimately landing on 12 to 18 hours. We think that lengthy proof time results
in the best-tasting pizza, but we also understand that, sometimes, it’s just
not going to happen. As a shortcut, you can proof your dough in the fridge for
2 hours, then at room temperature for 2 hours. It won’t be as delicious, but
will still be very tasty.
The sauce:
We love our homemade pizza sauce for a few specific reasons.
One, we use whole peeled tomatoes and then cook them down so we can control the
texture and concentrate the flavor of our sauce. Secondly, and speaking of
flavor, we only use salt in our sauce if we aren’t using additional salty
ingredients on our pizza. Topping yours with prosciutto or olives? You might
want to use a light hand with the salt too.
Not making your sauce from scratch? We’ve found that many
store-bought pizza sauces have a tendency to be too sweet, so to avoid that,
opt for a sauce labeled marinara instead. Our favorite brand is Rao’s, but try
different brands to discover which you like best.
Storage:
This recipe makes enough for 2 (14") crusts, and the
sauce is easily doubled or tripled to use for the future. Both are a great
option to make ahead and store. Store them in airtight containers (flour the
one for the dough) and refrigerate up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature when
ready to use. The sauce will also keep in the freezer for up to 6 months, and
the dough for up to 1 month. Thaw it on the counter, and bring to room
temperature before baking.
Made this? Let us know how it went (and your favorite pizza
toppings!) in the comments below.
Directions
PIZZA
DOUGH
Step 1
In a large,
deep bowl, whisk salt and 3 1/3 cups flour. In a medium bowl, mix honey, yeast,
and 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water (about 100°) until yeast just about dissolves.
Pour honey mixture into dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or your hands,
push mixture together to form a cohesive dough. Turn out onto a clean surface
and knead with 3 to 4 tablespoons flour until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 2
Press down
on dough to deflate. Turn out onto a clean work surface. Form into a loose
ball, then fold dough in on itself from beneath, about 8 times. The dough
should be in a tight ball at this point. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile,
place a rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 550° (or as high as your oven
goes). Place a round or large rectangular sheet tray on rack during the last
few minutes of preheating. Time to make the sauce.
PIZZA
SAUCE
Step 1
In a food
processor or blender, pulse tomatoes and garlic until broken down and slightly
chunky, 10 to 15 times. If you prefer a smoother texture, continue to process
until smooth.
Step 2
In a large
wide pot or saucepan over medium-low heat, cook oil, oregano, and pepper,
stirring frequently, until oregano begins to sizzle, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Carefully
pour tomato mixture into pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the
liquid has evaporated and sauce is reduced to about 2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes;
season with salt, if needed. Let cool.
ASSEMBLY
Step 1
Divide dough
into 2 pieces. At this point, you can freeze one, or make two pizzas. On a
pizza peel or lightly floured surface, stretch dough to a 14" round.
Carefully transfer round to preheated sheet tray. Top with 3/4 cup sauce, 1 1/2
cups mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and any additional desired toppings (see
gallery below for ideas).
Step 2
Bake pizza
until crust is golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and
toppings, if desired.
Comments
Post a Comment