Homemade Pizza

This is a recipe that experience really helps. I have made homemade pizza at least 40 times in the last three years. It is a learning process. Personally, I have reached the point where I consistently make the same quality pizza.

My daughter, who is my best critique, pointed out that the pizza always tastes pretty much the same. The toppings change but the taste of the sauce and the bread is consistent. It made me realize how important the flavour of those two are. Making my own sauce and looking at different things I can do with the dough is where I am at now.

Here is a few tips when working on your own homemade pizza.

Tips

1. Make the correct quantity and shape of dough for your homemade pizza.
2. Get some extra heat by using a pizza stone.
3. Less sauce works better in a home oven.
4. Fresh Mozzarella is great.

Ingredients

• 00 Style Pizza Flour 2 cups divided
• Original Dry Pepperoni 50 grams or tt
• Pizza Sauce half a little can about 110 ml
• Fresh Mozzarella 250 grams
• Onion Slices for garnish tt
• Green Pepper slices for garnish tt
• Olives for garnish tt
• Salt 1 tsp
• Olive Oil 1 tbsp
• Warm Water 1 cup
• Suger 1 tsp

Directions

The dough will take some time to rise. So you need to start this earlier. I typically start making the dough at lunchtime and it should be ready by dinner.

Homemade Pizza Dough Prep

1. Prepare the water and yeast. In a cup of warm water add 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of active dry yeast. Let this rest for about 15 minutes and the sugar will help feed the yeast.
2. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of 00 style pizza flour in a bowl with 1 tsp of salt. Add the yeast and water to the bowl and mix with a large spoon. The dough will begin to form a ball. When the dough is too tacky simply sprinkle some flour.
3. Once the dough is forming a nice ball. Put it on a floured cutting board and kneed the dough for about 10 minutes.
4. In a clean bowl add a little olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking. Add the round ball of dough and cover with a damp cloth to help with moisture. Let the dough sit for at least 2 hours to rise. It should be at least double the size when it has risen.

Homemade Pizza Dressing

5. Place your pizza stone into the oven and set it to 500. Even better if you have the convection option. It should take quite a long time to heat up the stove.
6. On a floured cutting board dump the dough from the bowl. If the dry side is down, perfect. Ideally the greasy size is up. So you can flour your hands and begin to push the dough from the center outwards to form a disk. The width of my cutting board is the same as the pizza pan that I will bake in. Once the disk is formed transfer it to your pan.
7. Dress the pizza starting with the sauce ending with the mozzarella. Bake the pizza for 22 minutes and it should be done. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy