Posted Dec 30, 2023, Updated Sep 30, 2024 In my years of experience working at a Chicago pizzeria, I learned how to make the best pizza! So, I took my experience & pizza knowledge and created this homemade pizza recipe for you! We moved away from Chicago, to a sate that is not known for it’s delicious pies, so we make this homemade pizza recipe weekly. In this post, you will learn how to make pizza at home using the best homemade pizza dough and pizza sauce recipes. I will also share all my tips and tricks so your homemade pizza turns out perfectly every single time.
Homemade Pizza Recipe: Ingredients
Pizza dough. I suggest making this homemade pizza dough recipe – it’s made with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes and doesn’t require rising (although that is an option). Or try this whole wheat pizza dough recipe. You can also use store-bought pizza dough if you’d prefer. Pizza sauce. nothing beats this homemade pizza sauce recipe. It’s easy to make in 5 minutes and doesn’t require cooking. In a pinch you can use store-bought pizza sauce too! Mozzarella Cheese. You will need 3-4 cups of mozzarella cheese, depending on how cheesy you like your pizza. Toppings: I give many topping options in the recipe card, such as but not limited to: sausage (sausage pizza recipe), pepperoni (see this pepperoni pizza recipe), cheese (cheese pizza recipe), pineapple, ham, barbecue chicken, vegetables, etc.
Homemade Pizza Equipment
Pizza stone. Using a pizza stone is a sure-fire way to get restaurant quality pies without needing a fancy pizza oven. Use a Pizza peel or a a flat-rimmed baking sheet to easily transport the homemade pizza in and out of the oven. Parchment paper. Assembling the pizza on parchment paper ensures it’s easy to transport and that it doesn’t stick. Pizza Scissors. pizza-cutting game changer. You can cut the pizza right on the cooling rack with scissors! And they make it easy to cut a piece into smaller pieces for younger children. Wire Cooling Rack. a large, round cooling rack is perfect for pizzas. Rolling Pin. I suggest a marble rolling pin for easy pizza dough rolling.
How to Make Pizza
Now, we will walk through how to make homemade pizza. Remember all steps are simplified by using store-bought ingredients.
Make the Pizza Dough
Begin by making the dough. It’s very simple to make – check out this post – pizza dough recipe – for detailed step-by-step instructions. Begin by proofing the yeast in water with sugar. Then add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Next add the dry ingredients Add flour slowly until the mixture forms a slightly tacky ball. Then knead until it’s smooth. Let it rise before rolling if you prefer – this results in a fluffier crust.
Make the Pizza Sauce
I often like to make the pizza sauce long before dinnertime and let it sit at room temperature. It’s easy to prepare in advance. Or, make it while the dough is rising. To make the sauce, simply combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk or stir until smooth. You can reference this post: Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe for more tips and detailed instructions. More
Heat a Pizza Stone
Before you begin assembling the pizza, you need to preheat the oven and warm the pizza stone. Put the stone in the oven as it preheats, and let it warm at 500 degrees F for at least 10 minutes before cooking the pizza. If you aren’t one of the few that actually has a real pizza oven at home, using a pizza stone is a key step when it comes to making authentic, homemade pizza. Putting the pizza directly on a hot surface ensures the bottom crust crisps nicely without over-browning the cheese.
Assemble the Homemade Pizza
Now that your dough and sauce are ready to go and your stone is preheating, let’s assemble our pizza recipe. Begin by rolling out the pizza dough into your desired shape. We have a round pizza stone, so we form a round circle of dough. We have also made it into fun shapes – like a heart at Valentine’s day, Football for the super bowl, etc. Then, transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper (for ease of transfer from the counter to the oven). Next, spread a thick layer of sauce over the pizza dough, leaving about a ½ inch border around the pizza (or more if you like more crust). Once the sauce is spread evenly over the dough, add the cheese. If you are going to include toppings, sprinklings two layers of cheese is a trick of the trade to ensure the best pizza ever. So, sprinkle a base layer of cheese, then add the toppings, then add the rest of the cheese over the toppings. Trust me, this is the way to make pizza.
Topping Suggestions
Here are our favorite pizza toppings (besides plain cheese pizza, of course)
Pepperoni Sausage or Bacon. Pre-cook the sausage/bacon in a skillet until it’s no longer pink, then add it to the pizza between the layers of cheese. Pineapple & Ham Vegetables: Bell Peppers, onion, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes spinach, etc. Fresh Herbs. Basil, parsley, cilantro (especially with BBQ chicken), etc. Use leftover BBQ chicken to make BBQ Chicken Pizza
Cook
Now, use a pizza peel or flat cookie sheet to transfer the assembled pizza from the counter to the oven. Gently lift up one side of the parchment paper and slide the peel under the paper. Then, carefully transfer the parchment paper and pizza to the preheated stone in the oven. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted. If desired, remove the parchment paper halfway through baking (once the crust has firmed up) by giving it a quick tug.
Cool
Once the pizza has finished cooking, use a pizza peel or flat cookie sheet to remove it from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes. Letting it cool slightly makes it easier to cut and prevents anyone from burning their mouths on hot pizza sauce!
Serve
You can transfer the pizza to a cutting board and use a pizza cutter to slice it. However, we prefer to use pizza scissors to cut our homemade pizza. They changed our lives (especially having to cut pizza for babies for so many years) and I highly recommend purchasing a pair. We love serving pizza with this burrata salad, panzanella salad or fruit salad.
Store
Let the leftover homemade pizza cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
Let the cheese pizza cool completely before storing in a single layer in an airtight container. It will last up to 1 week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month.
Reheat
Reheat in the microwave or in the oven set to warm, or in a saucepan with a lid over medium heat (this helps re-crisp the crust) If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
