This homemade pizza, without doubt, out-pizzas the Hut. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten pizza better than this (definitely no bias here). The homemade dough already puts the pizza miles ahead of any chain restaurant, and the sauce along with the variety of toppings is icing on the cake.
This homemade pizza really marked the start to my cooking career. I remember the first time I tried made it and I felt so accomplished. For some reason, the idea of not only making pizza at home, but the dough and sauce as well just made me feel that like the dough, I had risen (see what i did there?) to a next step for cooking. Over the years I’ve experimented with many ways of making the dough however I still find that the best method is a simple proof for a few hours, no crazy overnight ferments or starter dough stuff, and that is what ill be showing you today.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 1/2 cups flour (preferably bread flour)
- 1 tbs salt
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Toppings (my preference):
- Pizza sauce (Homemade or store-bought)
- Fresh Mozzarella and Low-Moisture Mozzarella (shredded)
The following are all sliced into pizza topping sizes…
- Jalapeños
- Bell Pepper
- Mushrooms
- Onions
Directions
1Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, and create a hole in the center. Add the water and oil into the hole while stirring to make a shaggy dough. Flour a surface and start kneading the dough for 10 minutes. After this place it back into a well oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 4 hours.
2While letting the dough rest, prepare the sauce if you’re making it homemade (my recipe is linked in the ingredients list). Then, preheat the oven to 450°F.
3Now, take the dough out ad separate it into 4 pieces (or 2 if you’re planning of making really large pizzas). I suggest making the pizza shape by hand, however if you can’t, doing it with a roller will suffice. After forming the dough into a circle, you’re ready to top.
4The best order to do toppings it to first add the sauce. Don’t add too much, just enough to cover the dough with around an inch till the edge to make the crust. Then, add all your veggies or other toppings.
5Then, finally add both cheeses, the fresh and low-moisture mozzarella. this provides for a great flavor along with the right amount of stretch. Now, just brush the “crust” of the pizza with some olive oil and bake it in the oven
6After around 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dough looks golden brown, take the pizza out. Slice it into pieces and now all you have left to do is enjoy!
