Can you believe that there was a time when pizza was the last thing that I would ever want to make at home?! I know, I find that hard to believe too, especially considering that it’s usually on my meal plan at least every two weeks. What changed the game for me was discovering a pizza crust that takes hardly any time to make and turns out perfect and airy EVERY. TIME. I’m not kidding, this crust is fool proof and multipurpose! Originally Alexandra Cook’s easy focaccia dough, over time I used it to make focaccia pizza, and eventually learned that if I spread it out thin enough on a well oiled baking pan, it would create the most incredible thin crust pizza base!
Disclaimer: I am not someone who enjoys making their own pizza sauce. I’ve tried multiple recipes for homemade sauce and it just isn’t worth the extra effort to me. If that’s your jam, go for it. If not, my favorite sauce is this DeLallo Pizza Sauce. I’m not a fan of chunky sauces so this is perfect for me and works so well in terms of flavor and quantity.
Other key things to keep in mind: Use multiple types of cheeses, but only a little bit of each! The key to a crisp crust that stays fresh is to not overload the cheese and toppings. Think a thin layer of each so that you have the perfect ratio of crust to sauce to cheese. Just like with the sauce, my goal is to make this process as easy as possible so I buy pre-shredded cheese. I know, I know, the pre-shredded stuff doesn’t melt as well as freshly shredded, etc. But it DOES. Does a freshly shredded block make a difference when making Mac & cheese? Sure. For pizza? Just save yourself some time (and sore arms) and use the pre-shredded blends. I do, however, also finish off each pizza with some freshly torn mozzarella, which is absolutely key.
Last thing to keep in mind: if you’re planning to make this for yourself (and I hope you do!), plan to prep your dough about 4 hours before you need it. It’s a quick rising dough but still needs a little bit of time to work its magic! All of the recipe details are next- feel free to reach out with any questions!
The Best Homemade Pizza
Equipment
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 packet 2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 bottle Delallo pizza sauce
- 8 oz mexican blend cheese
- 8 oz Italian blend cheese
- 1 container fresh mozzarella balls
Instructions
- Mix together the all purpose flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.
- Add in the water and mix until combined.
- Drizzle 1-2 tbsp oil over the top of the dough and spread across the top.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set aside to rise for 3-4 hours.
- When you’re ready to make your pizza, preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Add a few tbsp of high heat oil (like avocado oil) to your baking sheet and spread across the surface.
- Divide your dough into quarters and add one section to your baking sheet.
- Use your hands to spread the dough into a 12-14 inch circle/oval. You will need to let the dough rest in between spreading it to avoid it constantly springing back on you.
- Add 1/3 cup of sauce (or more/less to your taste) over the surface of the crust and top with a heaping 1/3 cup Mexican blend cheese, 1/3 cup Italian blend cheese, and some freshly torn mozzarella.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then broil for one minute to give the cheese a crispier finish.
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