It’s time to throw away your take out menus, because your local pizzeria is absolutely nothing compared to the flavorful Italian heaven you are capable of making in your own kitchen.

It may seem complicated, but trust me when I say that homemade pizza is way easier than you think.

Pizza dough is actually just a mixture of water, flour, sugar, salt olive oil, and a bit of yeast. A dough hook is the quickest way to bring it all together, but fancy equipment is never necessary to make delicious food. Use a silicon spatula to fold everything together, and once it’s all incorporated, use your hands!

A little mixing, a little kneading, and a little resting is all it takes. Don’t forget the line the sides of the bowl you’re resting your dough in with olive oil, otherwise the dough may get stuck to the sides of the bowl and prevent a good rise. You are really in for a treat if you’ve never smelled fresh pizza dough before. 

When the dough is fully risen punch the air out, coat your counter and hands in flour, and have some fun! Roll out, toss, and shape to your dough however you like it. Don’t worry if things get sticky, just sprinkle flour as you go. 

There are dozens of pizza dough recipes out there, and I’ve tried quite a few of them, but the pizza dough recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction. No matter the recipe you use, there are a few general guidelines that will always make your dough great. 

1. Once you shape your dough, cover it with a damp paper towel or cloth and let is rest. All that kneading, rolling, tossing, and shaping has knocked out some of the air you so carefully built up during the rise. Letting your pizza rest before you top and bake it will reincorporate that air to produce a crust that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
2. Don’t hate me for this, but wait at least 15 – 20 minutes

Once your pizza dough is ready, it’s time to make your pizza! 

BEST Classic Margherita Pizza Recipe

Looking to embrace this Italian classic?

Whip it up in no time with just a few simple ingredients:

• tomato sauce – seasoned generously with oregano and fresh minced garlic
• fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes
• fresh, parmigiano-reggiano cheese – finely grated
• fresh basil
• dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Are you noticing a common theme here? Fresh!

Nothing tastes better than homemade dough topped with the freshest ingredients. Top your dough with tomato sauce and cheese, and bake at 475 degrees F from 12 minutes.

Then amp up your broiler, and let your cheese get crusty for a minute or so. But do not walk away from the oven, and keep a close eye on your pizza. When the broiler is involved things can take a turn really quickly.

Once it’s out of the oven, cover it in bay leaves and then give it a very light drizzle of high-quality olive oil and red pepper flakes.

Buon Appetito!

Fontina Truffle Mushroom Pizza Recipe

Truffle pizza is my absolute favorite. I generally advise others to go easy with this very strong ingredient, but personally, the more truffle the better!

You can always find perfectly delicious truffle oil at your local grocery store, but I highly recommend going to a local food market and finding the best quality one available.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• classic tomato sauce
• fontina cheese
• mushrooms – 2X as many mushrooms as you think!
• truffle oil
• fresh arugula

Build your pizza with sauce, tangy yet sweet fontina cheese, and then load it up with mushrooms. Don’t worry if they’re overlapping. If you only do a single layer, they’ll all spread apart when the cheese melts in the oven.

You’ll be adding truffle oil at the end, but if you’re like me and really love truffle, feel free to add a little before baking to soak in the flavor.

Bake for 14 minutes at 475 F, or at least until the crust is crunchy and your cheese is nice and browned. When you pull it out of the oven, top it with a palmful of fresh arugula and a generous drizzle of truffle oil.

I know this won’t be easy, but hold off at least 20 minutes before diving in to let your pizza cool. This rule goes for all homemade pizzas, but this truffle mushroom pizza in particular truly goes from a 9 to a 10 when the truffle flavoring soaks in and the fontina cheese has a chance to set.

It may sound like an odd combination, but if you like a little heat, don’t be afraid to add just a dash of hot sauce. I couldn’t tell you why truffle and hot sauce taste so incredible together, but I promise you won’t be disappointed.

 

Honey BBQ Veggie Pizza Recipe

This pizza is a flavorful explosion, perfectly for veggie lovers. I love making this up for game nights with a big group of friends, as it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

I’ll share the veggies that I’ve found work best, but feel free to use your favorites! The only real essential here is my trick for the pizza sauce. You’ll need the following:

• classic tomato sauce – seasoned generously with fresh garlic cloves
• at least 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce
• fresh mozzarella cheese – grated
• fresh Havarti or gruyere cheese (or both!) – grated
• 1 shallot, finely diced and sautéed
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 red onion
• diced pineapple
• honey

The magic of this pizza starts right at the beginning. Classic tomato sauce, while delicious, is going to need a little help. While simmering your sauce, stir in the BBQ sauce. The combination is going to blow your mind. 

Take your fresh dough, and get to work! After spreading out your tomato/BBQ pizza sauce and adding the cheese, cover the pizza in sautéed shallots for some more nuanced flavor.

Then add your veggies! Poblano peppers, red onion & diced pineapple are my holy trinity here. I recognize how controversial pineapple on pizza is, but the sweetness of the pineapple and poblano pepper perfectly balance the sharpness of the red onion.

Bake this bad boy for 12 – 14 minutes, let it rest, and drizzle with honey right before you serve it to the people who will undoubtedly begin worshipping you after that first bite.