Homemade Pizza? Are You Sure You Can Handle It?

“People who love to eat are always the best people.” — Julia Child

Homemade Pizza? Are You Sure You Can Handle It? If you think you have what it takes to create a homemade pizza, then let’s get started. But be warned, this is not for the faint of heart. Only the most dedicated and passionate food lovers should attempt this. You have been warned!

Now, let’s dive into the details. This homemade pizza dough recipe is not for the weak-willed. It requires precision, patience, and a true love for the art of pizza making. If you’re ready to embark on this culinary journey, prepare to be amazed.

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

Yield: 2 10-inch pizzas

Ingredients

For the pizza dough

• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm water (105°F-115°F)
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 3 3/4 cups (490g) bread flour
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if cooking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

For making the pizza and toppings

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Cornmeal (to help slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)
• Tomato sauce (smooth or pureed)
• Firm mozzarella cheese, grated
• Fresh soft mozzarella cheese, separated into small clumps
• Fontina cheese, grated
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Mushrooms, very thinly sliced if raw, otherwise first sautéed
• Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, very thinly sliced
• Italian pepperoncini, thinly sliced
• Italian sausage, cooked ahead and crumbled
• Sliced black olives
• Chopped fresh basil
• Baby arugula, tossed in a little olive oil, added as pizza comes out of the oven
• Pesto
• Pepperoni, thinly sliced
• Onions, thinly sliced raw or caramelized
• Ham, thinly sliced

Making the Pizza Dough

1. Proof the yeast: Place the warm water in the large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. After 5 minutes, stir if the yeast hasn’t dissolved completely. The yeast should begin to foam or bloom, indicating that the yeast is still active and alive.
2. Make and knead the pizza dough: Add the flour, salt, sugar, and olive oil, and using the mixing paddle attachment, mix on low speed for a minute. Then replace the mixing paddle with the dough hook attachment. Knead the pizza dough on low to medium speed using the dough hook about 7–10 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, you can mix the ingredients together and knead them by hand. The dough should be a little sticky, or tacky to the touch. If it’s too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour.
3. Let the dough rise: Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the inside of a large bowl. Place the pizza dough in the bowl and turn it around so that it gets coated with the oil. You can choose how long you want the dough to ferment and rise. A slow fermentation (24 hours in the fridge) will result in more complex flavors in the dough. A quick fermentation (1 1/2 hours in a warm place) will allow the dough to rise sufficiently to work with.

Preparing the Pizzas

1. Preheat the pizza stone (or pizza pan or baking sheet): Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
2. Divide the dough into 2 balls: Remove the plastic cover from the dough. Dust your hands with flour and push the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form 2 round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
3. Prep the toppings: Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way.
4. Flatten the dough ball, and stretch out into a round: Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a lightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further.
5. Brush the dough top with olive

Wine Pairing

Suggestion? Chianti Classico. Why? Your pizza, with its medley of toppings, needs a wine as versatile as it is bold. Chianti Classico, with its bright acidity and savory notes, complements the rich flavors without overpowering. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of wine pairings — reliable, versatile, and always in fashion. But remember, if you mess up the pizza, not even the finest Chianti can save it. So, focus on the dough, keep the toppings sensible, and you might just create something worthy of this wine. Cheers, you brave soul.

Bon Appetit

If you’ve managed to craft this homemade pizza without it resembling a sad, doughy disc topped with regret, then you’re well on your way to pizza perfection. Craving more culinary adventures that challenge your dough-tossing skills and cheese-melting mastery? Hit that subscribe button for a journey through the tantalizing world of pizza possibilities. And if you’ve uncovered the secret to creating a pizza masterpiece in your own kitchen, don’t keep it to yourself — share your pizza prowess in the comments. Or, perhaps in the spirit of preserving the sanctity of pizza, it’s best to quietly enjoy your culinary triumph, slice by delicious slice.