Pizza is the ultimate comfort food, so it only makes sense that you’d want to make it at home! Unfortunately, it’s also a process, which often makes delivery a much more appealing option. But if you have the gumption for it, it doesn’t have to be something unattainable.
We’re giving you five simple secrets to help you make restaurant-quality pizza pie right from your very own kitchen!
Use Store-Bought Dough
Making great pizza dough is art. But not everyone has the skillset or time to create the perfect pizza masterpiece. Store-bought dough is a perfectly acceptable alternative and an incredible shortcut. It’s an excellent way to have homemade pizza whenever you want it, even on a weeknight! If you’re serious about pizza, you can always take the extra time to learn a good dough recipe. Just know that if making dough from scratch is keeping you from making delicious pizza, you don’t have to let it!
Sauce It Up
You can also use store-bought sauce if you’d like. But truthfully, it’s a lot easier to make good sauce at home than it is good dough, so the extra effort is often worth it. If you do use store-bought sauce, zhuzh it up with a pinch of salt or even a splash of red wine. This will help lift the flavor a bit and make it taste more like homemade.
And you don’t have to stick with tomato sauce, either. Try a white sauce, pesto, or even barbecue sauce if you’re feeling adventurous. Just remember: the sauce is your pizza’s personality, so make it count!
Use the Right Cheese(s)
Mozzarella is the classic go-to cheese for many reasons. It provides incredible stretch and it isn’t too flavorful that it overpowers the sauce or toppings. But it matters what kind of mozzarella you use. There’s an argument for fresh mozzarella, but that adds a lot of moisture that will likely make your pie more like soup.
Low-moisture mozzarella is the best option for a traditional pizza. It melts beautifully and will give you that picture-perfect cheese pull you’re looking for. Don’t be afraid to mix it up with other cheeses like provolone or blue cheese; just remember to account for the moisture content in the cheese so you don’t end up with a sloppy mess.
Be Creative But Measured With Your Topping Choices
We’re always encouraging creativity and excess. But it’s not always the best call when you’re making pizza. Piling on too many toppings can lead to a soggy mess. Aim for a balanced approach—pick a few favorites and let them shine. If you’re feeling indecisive, go for a half-and-half pizza.
Pay even closer attention to your topping choices if they contain a lot of moisture. Pineapple, for example, is a hotly contested pizza topping that could also leech a lot of moisture out into your crust and make it go limp.
Bake It Like You Mean It
The biggest tip we can give you is to bake your pizza at a hot, HOT temperature. Most pizza ovens get up to temps far beyond what the traditional oven can get to. Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it can go—usually around 475°F (245°C) or higher. If you have a pizza stone, use it! It’ll give you that crispy crust you crave. Just make sure to preheat it for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Slide your pizza onto the stone (or a baking sheet if you’re feeling rebellious) and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling like a hot spring. Keep an eye on it, though—no one likes a burnt pizza.
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