When surveyed about their favorite comfort food, Americans responded that they reach for a slice of pizza when they need a little support. Pizza beat out other American favorites like chocolate, ice cream, mac and cheese, chips, and hamburgers.
Grabbing a pizza from your local shop can be great in a pinch, but there’s also something really special about making your own pizza at home from scratch.
However, it can be hard to get your homemade pizza to come out quite as good as your favorite pizza place.
Are you wondering how to make pizza? Are you working towards creating the perfect pizza right in your own kitchen? Let’s look at what you need to know.
The Dough
There is nothing wrong with buying store-bought dough or stopping by your local pizza place and buying some of there’s (if they’re willing to sell it to you. However, some aficionados feel it’s necessary to make your own dough from scratch.
If you are planning to brave the world of making your own dough, it involves active dry yeast, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, olive oil, and water.
However, if you buy dough from the store, there are a number of things you can do to ensure that you make the best pizza you’ve ever made.
First of all, you will want to divide your dough into 1/2 pound balls of dough. You will want to make sure there aren’t any air pockets under the dough. Then, you’ll want to put all of the dough in a proofing box or on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap.
If you’re putting the dough in a proofing box, put the lid on.
Now it’s time to let the dough rest in the fridge. You can rest it for as little as two hours, but you’ll find the quality not as good as if you let it rest for one to two days.
To help keep the balls of dough from sticking to each other, you can dip each of the balls of dough into flour before putting it in the box.
Basically, letting your dough rest helps to boost the quality and crumb of your crust. This is what helps to create those awesome big air pockets in the crust of your pie.
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The Sauce
You can also decide between making homemade pizza sauce or buying some at the store. This decision is totally up to you. Premade pizza sauce isn’t terribly expensive unless you are going with a more gourmet brand, and making homemade sauce can be time-consuming.
That being said, there’s something so satisfying about knowing you made something entirely from scratch.
Bon Appetit compared the two versions of sauce to determine whether it’s worth the hassle of making it yourself. The author found that the cost was about the same, with jarred sauce costing 29 cents an ounce and the cost of the ingredients for homemade sauce amounted to 27 cents per ounce.
Homemade sauce can be healthier, though, because of the control you have over ingredient selection. There’s a good chance that your jarred sauce has more sodium than you would put in homemade sauce, and you can likely make cheaper versions of an organic sauce at home.
One of the big differences is that the sauce takes time to make. The author found that making tomato sauce from scratch took an hour and twenty minutes. Ultimately, they concluded that you’re better off just buying the jarred stuff.
The Cheese
There are an unlimited number of options when it comes to pizza ingredients, but it’s hard to have a pizza without cheese.
If you’re getting into making your own pizza at home, you could dedicate a lot of time and attention to determining the perfect cheese combo to top your pie. Some classic and delicious options include:
- Mozzarella
- Cheddar/matured cheddar
- Aged havarti
- Gorgonzola
- Parmigiano-reggiano
- Provolone
- Goat Cheese
- Pecorino-Romano
- Fontina
- Muenster
- Smoked gouda
- Pepper jack
- Raclette
You can also use cheeses like feta to compliment delicious veggie pizzas.
The Toppings
Here’s where things really get fun. Everyone has their idea of the best pizza, and maybe it’s best to simply agree to disagree. However, some classic combos include:
- Pepperoni and sausage
- Mushrooms, red onions, tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, and black olives
- Supreme pizza: hamburger, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and peppers
- Hawaiian pizza: pineapple and ham
- Neapolitan: tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella
- BBQ chicken: chicken breast, mushrooms, red onion, and BBQ sauce
- Mediterranean: spinach, red onions, tomatoes, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta
And then, of course, there’s simply cheese pizza or pepperoni. You can’t go wrong!
Are You Making the Perfect Pizza Tonight?
Making a pizza from scratch can be a project, but it can also be a super fun thing to do with your family. There’s something so great about making something on your own. On top of that, there’s the added benefit that you can be in control of the ingredients.
While many people avoid pizza because they worry it’s unhealthy, when you make pizza at home you can know exactly what’s going into your dinner. This means that you can eat healthier pizza more often!
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