Basically everyone loves pizza! It’s warm, it’s cheesy, and it smells oh so good coming out of the oven. But what’s better than a great home-made pizza? Forget those frozen things; nothing can top the heavenly scent of a pizza made by hand and the anticipation of that first bite. With these 5 home pizza making secrets, anyone will be sure to have the best “pie” on the block. Read on to learn more and get cooking!
Making home-made pizza dough may sound intimidating, but it’s really not. Yes, it involves mixing the dough and then letting it rise, plus a little bit of extra time, but believe that it’s worth it. If, however, one simply does not have time to make his or her own pizza dough, experimenting with different crusts is always a good idea. Try bagels, for example, or tortillas for personal pizzas.
Most people use bagged, shredded mozzarella when they make their pizzas at home. In fact, many pizzerias use bagged and shredded mozzarella. Of course, this tastes wonderful, but if the goal is to jazz it up a bit, try fresh mozzarella for a change. It tastes just like regular shredded mozzarella, except it’s much, much better.
A classic pepperoni pizza is something in an of itself. Nobody can mess with a pepperoni pizza, but why not try getting a little experimental? Consider making a tropical pizza with a little ham, a little pineapple and some red onion chunks. Or what about a summer pizza on the grill with fresh tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash from the garden? It’s even possible to experiment with the sauce. Try pesto instead of tomato sauce or consider ditching the cheese and just using veggies and meat on whatever the chosen sauce may be.
One trick that real Italian pizza masters use is adding fresh basil leaves onto the pizza during it’s final moment in the oven. Some people try to put the basil on when they put the rest of the toppings on the pizza, but that makes the basil get brown and burnt looking. Put it on during the last minute that the pizza is in the oven, and it will give a rich and fresh Italian basil flavor to the pie as well as a beautiful green garnish.
So it’s pizza night, and you want to incorporate all of these great home pizza making tips into a master creation when you suddenly realize that you simply don’t have the energy. You just got home from a long day at the office, you’re beat, and you don’t have the stamina to head out to the grocery store, buy the ingredients for a homemade pizza crust (plus the fresh mozzarella and fresh basil) and make the thing. That’s OK. That’s why the fifth secret to home pizza making: “Head out to your favorite pizzeria.” Call them up, put in the order, and have that beautiful, sweet-smelling pie delivered right to the doorstep. Buon appetito!