Love the spicy sauce and cheese on your favorite chewy crust? Learn how to make pizza at home and stop wasting your money on takeout!

If you’ve been hanging around here for any amount of time, then you already know how much we love pizza. And I mean, we really love it. So, I thought it would be fun to write up a little “tutorial” on how to make pizza at home, plus of course, I had share some of my favorite recipes, too!

We eat some variation of pizza almost every Friday night. And over the years, I’ve tried TONS of recipes. Some that didn’t work out so well and others that have become family favorites.

All in all, it’s always fun to try out new recipes!

So, let’s get started on this pizza making journey, so you can try some, too…

How to Make Pizza Dough

Of course, the place to start is with the dough. Think of it as the foundation of your pizza. And the best pizza dough…is a dense dough.

You don’t want your dough to be super light and airy, otherwise, you’ll end up with crust that has more of a bread-like consistency. And who wants that?

You want a soft, but chewy crust, am I right?

Of course you do. Who wants fluffy pizza?!

The key to a soft and chewy crust is in the yeast! Make sure to use a good, quality yeast that is fresh.

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Old yeast will provide a hard crust that is really hard to chew. Also, let the yeast proof for a good 8 to 10 minutes before mixing into the rest of your ingredients to ensure a good rise.

Here’s my favorite homemade dough recipe:

And if you’re feeling super lazy, then I highly recommend you try my bread machine pizza dough. It’s so easy to throw ingredients in the machine and it’s ready to use in just 22 minutes!

• The Best Bread Machine Pizza Dough

Okay, so now you should have a couple of giant dough balls on your counter. What do you do with them?

Well, if you’re super talented, I highly suggest you try throwing one up in the air for a hand-tossed pizza.

But, if you’re like the rest of us, it’ll likely end up on the floor, sooo….

Punch one ball down into a flat disc. Then, use your fingers to press the dough outward, from the center of the disc, to create a large circle…about 16 inches in size. 

OR

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large circle, instead.

Repeat with the remaining balls of dough or place them into separate zipper bags and freeze for future use.

Saucy, Saucy

Okay, so your crusts are all ready and now it’s time to sauce them. Your sauce should be slightly sweet and slightly spicy.

It’s important to find the right balance between the two because you don’t want overly sweetened tomatoes, but your really don’t want a sauce that’s so spicy you have to drink a gallon of milk with it either.

So, the question is…are you going to use a premade jar of sauce or are you going to make your own homemade sauce?

I vote for making your own!

It’s really simple and it tastes so much better than that junky stuff in a jar!

Here’s my favorite homemade sauce recipe:

So, your all sauced up – now what?

Now, it’s time to top it with all your favorite goodies! Starting with the cheese…what kind are you using?

Here’s some ideas:

• Mozzarella (of course!)
• Monterey Jack
• Cheddar
• Parmesan
• American
• Blue Cheese
• Feta
• Ricotta

Got your cheese on?

Awesome – let’s add some of your favorite toppings…

• Pepperoni
• Bacon
• Ham
• Ground Beef
• Chicken
• Garlic
• Peppers (hot or sweet)
• Mushrooms
• Pineapple
• Tomatoes
• Anchovies
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Olives
• Spinach

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You might also like:
10 Pizza Toppings You Need To Make Right Now

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Now it’s time to Bake Your Pizza!

In the past, many of my recipes have had cooking temperatures around 425 degrees Fahrenheit. But, recently, I’ve been playing around with higher temperatures and I’m finding it to make a much better crust.

So, my happy pizza baking temperature seems to be 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

I tried 500 and burned the crust…450 produced basically the same results as 425.

But, 475 degrees made all the difference in the crust. It’s nice and golden brown…has a soft, chewy texture and just enough crunch to help you imagine that you’re sitting in a NYC pizzeria!

You might also consider using a pizza stone (like the one shown below). Not only does it give the texture of a real pizzeria pizza, but it will ensure you don’t end up with a soggy crust, too!

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Related products from Amazon:

Lorrenzetti 16″ Premium Pizza Stone for Baking Pizza in an Oven or BBQ Grill Like a Pro.

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How to bake your pizza…

One: Place your pizza stone into the oven and preheat to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

Two: Prepare pizza as directed above.

Three: Slide onto the pizza stone and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Four: Remove from the oven and use a sharp pizza cutter to cut into 8 large slices.

Five: Eat that pizza, my friend – you deserve it!

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Now that you’ve learned the basic steps, it’s time to start playing around with your own recipes!

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Here’s some of my favorites to help you get started…

10 Pizza Recipes You Have to Try

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I hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to make your own pizza at home! It’s not as hard as you might have thought, now is it?

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Have a Spectacular Day!