Pizza is a favorite food for lots of people. But it can be expensive to go out for pizza or even to order it in. Making your own pizza is a great way to save money and still enjoy a family favorite.
We’ve been making homemade pizza for a few years now, and let me tell you… It’s been trial and error (lots of error!) all the way. I tried a few different crust recipes and have finally landed on Pioneer Woman’s pizza crust recipe and used a little less water (between 1 c. and 1 1/4 c. depending on quickly I turn the faucet off). Regardless of the crust recipe you use, here are 6 tips to make your homemade pizza even better.
Make the crust smaller than you think it could be.
I have a round pizza pan. It has holes in the center to help with baking. I always think that my crust should extend past those holes. But I’ve learned that if I keep my pizza crust to around 12 inches, it doesn’t get so thin that it’s floppy. There’s not much worse than floppy pizza.
Sprinkle a little bit of cheese before you add the toppings.
I don’t know if the sauce just needs a barrier between it and the toppings or what, but the veggies seem to cook better when there’s a thin layer of cheese between them and the sauce. I usually sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese over the whole pizza.
For the veggie toppings, think thin and small.
Now I’m not talking about minutely dicing your green peppers. But giant chunks of veggies won’t cook well either. I like to cut my larger mushrooms in half and then slice them. I’ve also found that I’m sorely tempted toward veggie topping overkill. I’m guessing that’s the mom in me wanting everyone to get a full serving of veggies from each slice of pizza. Unfortunately over-topping a pizza can lead to the top layer of cheese browning before the crust underneath is all the way done. Ask me how I know about that.
Try finely shredded cheese.
Okay so I totally learned this one by accident. I don’t usually buy finely shredded cheese, but I bought it once by accident. I now love it because it melts quickly and really gets down into all the nooks and crannies created by the veggies. I think it melts more evenly. This could just be personal preference since I like my pizza cheese slightly browned. It seems like the finely shredded cheese melts quicker gets to that browning stage quicker.
You’re not done when the pepperoni is added.
Sure, you could be done. But try this instead. Top each pepperoni slice with just a little bit of cheese. Then sprinkle the whole pizza with a bit of Italian seasoning. Don’t go overboard the first time you try the Italian seasoning. It’s better to add a little more next time than to have too much.
Special orders are just fine.
Our daughter doesn’t like cooked mushrooms. She’ll eat handfuls of them raw, but she thinks they’re gross on pizza. So instead of having her pick off the mushrooms, we make a special order section. The tough part used to be remembering which part of the pizza was hers. Now we slice the crust before we bake it, marking the special order section. Then it’s easy to find when the pizza is ready.
Do you have any other tips for better homemade pizza?
Hi there! Found you through frugal fridays. I really like these tips. I agree about keeping the veggies thin and small. I actually use my mandolin to slice my peppers and onions so they are super thin, so they crisp up nicely when I bake the pizza. that being said… I havent made my own crust in quite a while (I, too, have had many failures) but I ll take your word that the pioneer woman’s is commendable and will give it a try.
thanks for the tips !
Ahhh… The crust. That’s the hardest part! Maybe the amount of water you use has to do with where you live, but if I use the full 1 1/2 cups I get soggy mush. I’ve also been using my paddle attachment on my mixer, not the dough hook. That’s been a key to better crust too.
Slicing the crust before baking is brilliant! In our family we were always doing the “umm… let’s see.. I think this half has jalepenos… no wait, it’s this one”. LOL
Your pizza looks delicious! We always use low-moisture cheese and don’t pour on too much pizza sauce. I pre-bake my crusts to keep the pizza from being soggy. (You have to ‘dock’ the crust if you do this or you end up with a puff ball.) I have one of those pans like you, and I love it, but I like my pizza stone even more. I just don’t like to make crust, so I get it from either a local store that makes it every day, or the pizza parlor. It’s still way cheaper than take-out.
We recently discovered Sorrento’s “Ultimate Pizza Shred” at BJs and it’s all I’ll use for pizza now. It has 6 different kinds of cheese in it and it’s goooood!
Oh! And we like turkey pepperoni instead of the regular stuff. Much less fattening, but honestly, you can’t tell the difference.
Ooohhhh 6 different kinds of cheese. Yum! I’m going to have to break down and get a pizza stone. I’ve heard they’re awesome!
The special order section is BRILLIANT!!! Such a simple and effective way to mark it.
Thanks, Megan! We just got tired of hunting for mushrooms (and hearing the EWWWW if she ate one!). 🙂
I just posted a pizza recipe on my blog today 🙂 We do special orders as well, but we like our toppings on top of the cheese, so it’s easy to see what’s what. I also like to double up on my pizzas and make extras to freeze for homemade frozen pizza.
And I also bake my crust before adding the toppings. I find that helps the crust get completely done without the toppings getting burned.
I also bake my pizza at 500 degrees.
I admit that pizza was the first thing I’d ever baked at 500 degrees. I was chicken to do it, but you’re right, it makes a huge difference.
We make homemade pizza almost every Friday night. I use my bread machine on the dough cycle, and I use the recipe that came with the bread machine. We love it! I use a bit more olive oil than called for (about a tablespoon), and I think there is only 1/4 c. water (off the top of my head).
I love to watch at the pizza places how they do their dough. At Dominoes the other day, I saw they roll it in cornmeal first. I thought that was a great idea!
Stopping by from WFMW
I’ve thought about trying that cornmeal trick, but I never remember when I’m making the pizzas. Thanks for the reminder!
Wow, you’ve really got this down! Thanks for sharing your tips. I love the idea of putting the cheese down in layers. And we love Italian seasoning sprinkled on our pizza too.
I always had a hard time getting my pizza completely cooked until I started baking it on a stone that I keep in my oven. The hot stone cooks the crust so it is not doughy. But the process I went through to get my pizza into the oven was comical until I got a peel. While doing a google search I found a “super peel” that uses a pastry cloth like a conveyor belt to get the raw pizza into the oven. Since it seemed a bit extravagant, $32.00, I asked for it for Christmas. My boys think it is the best gift that dad ever bought me.
I’ve never heard of that before. Fun! And I’ll bet your boys are thankful that dad bought that gift every time they eat pizza! 🙂
I use a bread machine for my crust, using 2 recipes that work the best for us, http://lifeasmom.com/2010/09/tgif-make-pizza-yourself.html and this one, http://www.frugalupstate.com/recipes/pizza-hut-crust-clone-recipe-breadmachine/. I used to use PW’s recipe always also, but these are much easier. And I bought a pizza stone, which cornmeal gets sprinkled on before the dough gets put down and I always, always end up with a perfect pizza! I also used the pizza pan with the holes and it used to give me fits cause it was never no fail. Pizza stone is always a win!
Okay you may have just talked me into a pizza stone. 😉 I’ve been considering one but wondered if they were worthwhile or not.
Oh and this recipe is hands down one of the best ever and I have to share! We make the alfredo sauce and then add the chicken with the topping we like. But I can never make homemade pizza without making one of these:)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/chicken-alfredo-pizza-recipe/index.html
Oh that one looks delicious too! I’m always trying to branch out and try some new pizza flavors. Thanks!