How To Make Pizza At Home

One of the best things about America is the incredible diversity of our food. From biscuits and gravy to grits and eggs, every state has a variety of deeply loved dishes that manage to hang on from generation to generation. On Long Island, where we come from, it’s all about bagels and pizza. Rumor has it that there’s something in our water that makes these two doughy dishes unlike anywhere else.

The funny thing is, I had no idea our bagels and pizza were so gosh darn delicious until I went away to college in upstate New York. The first time I went to get a slice, I was handed a very doughy slice of something – but it definitely wasn’t pizza. To make matters worse, all of my newfound upstate friends were dipping their “pizza” in blue cheese dressing. You know, like the little plastic cups that they give you with your take out salad at the deli? I almost fainted. But, the truth was – upstate pizza needed extra cheese, extra sauce, and sadly, some Long Island water.

The same was true about their bagels. These belly bombers had way too much dough and not enough crispy crunch on the outside. They were doable, but it was always better to have Mom and Dad ship me bagels straight from Long Island to my dorm room. Pretty much every Long Islander that I knew at Geneseo, stockpiled bagels on school breaks and then hid them in their freezer to eat for weeks on end. You may laugh, but it’s true.

Now that I’m a Mom, I’ve made it my mission to learn how to cook pizza at home. This way, when my kids head off to college, I can simply ship them refrigerated pizza dough from their favorite pizza parlor along with the bagels that they will undoubtedly ask for. Just because I had to endure dipping pizza in blue cheese doesn’t mean they should too. 😉

This recipe (if we really want to call it one) can be made in under thirty minutes. The hardest part is going to the pizza place or grocery store and buying some pre-made dough. After that, you’re just slapping on some tasty ingredients and popping it in the oven. I do recommend having a pizza stone if you want to learn how to make pizza at home and not have a soggy crust. I’ve added my favorite pizza stone to our Wayfair board below – it’s cheap, durable and gets the job done every time!

HOW TO MAKE PIZZA AT HOME

Ingredients:

• Pre-made pizza dough
• 1 cup sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 7-10 slices pepperoni, optional
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

Step 1: Spray your pizza stone with cooking spray. Flour your work surface and place your pizza dough in the center. Using your hands or a pizza roller, gently spread the pizza dough out into a circle. If your hands are sticking to the dough, simply rub some flour on them.

Step 2: Add sauce and spread it around. Then add cheese, herbs, and pepperoni, if using.

Step 3: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbling. If you like a crispier crust, leave in the oven for a bit longer.

Thanks, Denine