Fun fact: Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for takeout pizza. Lately, we have been making more of our own pizzas at home rather than takeout. It's just as easy and everyone get to personalize their pie to exactly what they want.
My tips for making drool-worthy pizza at home?
- It all starts with the dough. I have tried many recipes and even have a pretty good one that takes only 15 minutes (you can find that recipe here). However, nothing beats the taste and convenience of buying the dough at your favorite local pizza shop. It is something that is hard to replicate and it makes baking pizza at home a breeze. I stop by my local shop and pick up a few pies for about $2 each.
- You must use a pizza stone. It is how you get that perfect crispy and chewy crust. Also a pizza peel makes it much easier to place the pizza on the hot stone and take it out when it is done.
Here are two of our favorites pizza combos:
Mr Wright's Favorite: Spicy Sausage Pizza with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients:
- 1/3 lb. of ground hot Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- pinch of salt and pepper
- pizza dough
- 1/2 cup San Marzano tomato sauce
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Place the pizza stone in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees.
Cook the sausage in a sauté pan over med-high heat until brown. Crumble into small pieces. While the sausage in cooking, heat another pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent. Then lower the heat to low to med-low and cook the onions until they are caramelized and golden brown (about 20-30), stirring occasionally. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the cooked onions.
Lightly flour the pizza peel and stretch the pizza dough on the peel into about a 9 inch circle. Spread the tomato sauce on the pizza, along with the cooked sausage and onions. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake the pizza for about 15-20 minutes, until the crust and cheese is golden brown.
My Favorite: Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
- pizza dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 vine ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
Place the pizza stone in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees.
Lightly flour the pizza peel and stretch the pizza dough on the peel into about a 9 inch circle. Drizzle the dough with the olive oil. Top with the tomato slices, salt, cheese, basil, and oregano. Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes, until the crust and cheese is golden brown.