Pizza is one of America’s favorite foods, and your home is probably not too far from a pizza chain. However, you don’t have to go out or call for delivery to enjoy hot, delicious pizza. Following these tips can help you make your own pizza and turn your kitchen into the best pizzeria in town.
Change Your Dough-Making Technique
Basic pizza dough only contains a handful of ingredients, but how you handle these ingredients can make a huge difference. You can make your pizza dough easier to handle by preparing the dough the night before you want to bake the pizza. Allowing the dough to chill in the refrigerator overnight will give the gluten a chance to relax. This makes your dough easier to stretch out and work with. When you are mixing your dough together, don’t be afraid of wet dough. Great pizza dough will still be wet and sticky after your ingredients are mixed together. Adding too much flour can make the crust heavy and tough.
Use the Right Supplies
You don’t have to spend a fortune to create quality pizzas, but there are some supplies that will make a big difference in how your finished pizzas taste. Most of us are not going to invest in pizza ovens, but a pizza stone and a pizza peel are a great place to start. If you are tired of creating homemade pizzas that are mushy and floppy, the pizza stone will make a huge difference in the texture of your pizza. The pizza peel will make it easy to transfer your pizza dough.
Master the Pizza Stone
Once you purchase your pizza stone, you are ready to take your pizza-making skills up to the next level. However, a pizza stone should not be used the same way as a basic pizza pan. The magic of a pizza stone happens when the stone is sizzling hot before the dough is placed on it. For best results, heat your pizza stone up in a 500-degree oven for 45 minutes before you bake your pie. It is important to place the stone on the center oven rack before you turn on the oven. If a stone is placed into an already-hot oven, the temperature difference can cause it to crack. Once the pizza stone is hot, use your pizza peel to carefully transfer the topped dough onto the hot stone.
Get Creative
When you make your own pizza at home, you have the advantage of being able to tailor all of the ingredients and toppings to meet your family’s needs. If your family starts getting tired of pizza night, try some of these different and delicious topping combinations. –
- Spinach, caramelized onions and bacon
- Barbeque sauce, cheddar cheese and grilled chicken
- Canned tuna, red onions and black olives
- Goat cheese, red grapes and fresh rosemary
- Pineppale and jalapeno peppers
- Alfredo sauce, tomatoes and shrimp
- Italian salami and corn
