Pizza is a favorite food of many people, and while sometimes the convenience of delivery is what is needed, other times, a delicious homemade pie straight from really hits the spot. Of course, making pizza at home can be tricky, but if done right, a homemade pizza can be the tastiest.
The first thing to do before preparing the pizza is to set the over high. Really high. Obviously you cannot get it as high as our wood fire brick (over 700+ degrees) but a great at home pizza can be cooked at temperatures as high as 500 degrees. Many cooks feel more comfortable with something in the 450 degree range though. Pizza stones are becoming a popular tool to make the perfect crust.
One of the best parts of pizza is the dough. At home pizzas can be prepared with either store-bought dough or homemade. The frozen section of many grocery stores contain frozen balls of fresh dough that end up giving pizza at home the best of both worlds. Using frozen fresh dough is a great way to get tasty pizza at home.
Of course, next is the sauce, which can be tough to get right. Again, there are bottled brands available at the grocery store, or many families have family recipes that have been passed down. The keys to homemade pizza sauce are fresh ingredients and patience. The sauce needs to simmer long enough to really bring out the flavors.
After the dough and sauce are decided upon, next comes the cheese. This is thought to be the most important aspect of a homemade pizza. Typical bagged, shredded mozzarella from the grocery store is not okay for this aspect of an at home pizza. Purchase full fat mozzarella, Monterey jack, provolone, or any other favorite cheese from the grocery store, and grate it for the best tasting cheesiness.
Finally, making pizza at home requires toppings. Some households enjoy a simple cheese pie, and that is a delicious choice. However, others like to be adventurous. Try a mix of fresh vegetables like spinach and artichoke hearts. Then add meat like chicken or perhaps sliced ham. Exotic toppings like anchovies and pineapple are great for pizzas made at home too. These pizzas can be completely customized based on the preferences of the cook and the people who will eat the pie. There is very little limit to what can go on top of the dough, sauce, and cheese.
A great way to make pizza at home is to roll out the dough on parchment paper. The dough sticks to the paper, and makes oven transfer a breeze. Once the pizza is assembled, put it in the oven, and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully rotate pizza and bake for an additional 3 minutes to ensure even browning.
Once the pizza comes out of the oven, cool slightly, slice, and serve piping hot. All that is left to do is enjoy the fruits of the labor. When done well, a pizza made at home is the best kind of pizza.
