Homemade Pizza Recipe

If you've never tried a homemade pizza recipe before then your in for a great treat, it tastes so much fresher than take out or store bought, and the smell is mouth watering.

In fact I am sure that once you realize just how easy it is to make your own, store bought pizza will be a thing of the past.

This is a really good basic homemade pizza dough recipe and it makes about 2 or 3 good size pizzas. If you only need one for now you can freeze the rest of the dough (the homemade pizza sauce also freezes well).

This particular dough also keeps well in the fridge for up to a week so if your having friends and family round, all you need to do is roll out your dough and add your toppings.

 

For a healthier pizza recipe you can substitute the sugar for honey and use whole wheat flour instead of bread/ all purpose flour.

Personally unless I am planning to pile lots of toppings on my pizza crust I always add a little something extra to the dough to stop it tasting a little too plain, so for a really tasty pizza base try adding a cup of shredded ( grated) cheese to your dough, you can also substitute half the olive oil with a flavored olive oil or just add a few herbs for a different taste.

Ingredients needed to make your own pizza:

• 3 1/2 cups of bread/all purpose flour
• 1 envelope (14g) of active dry yeast
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar(optional)
• 1/4 cup of good quality olive oil

Method

 

1. Mix the yeast with the water and leave to stand for about 5 minutes.



2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and sugar then add the yeast mixture and oil, combine well to form a dough then transfer to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes ( this may sound crazy but I personally find this bit very therapeutic and the olive oil makes my hands really soft and moisturized.)
   
   If your dough feels too dry add a little more oil, you can do this by pouring a couple of drops on the palm of your hands, the oil will blend in well when you begin to kneed the dough again.



3. Place the kneaded dough into a large greased bowl turning the dough once or twice to coat it, cover with a damp cloth and place your dough in a warm place to rise. Your dough needs to double in size and this proses will take at least an hour.



4. Place your dough on to a floured surface and give it a quick kneed just to release the air then devide into 2- 3, then sprinkle with flour and roll into your desired size and shape (a good guide line is about 1/4 inch thick.)



5. Now puncture your pizza base all over with a folk to stop your homemade pizza from bubbling up whilst cooking then place on a greased baking sheet ready to cook.



6. Bake the pizza crust for a few minuets before adding your sauce or toppings if you want to prevent a soggy crust pizza. If your adding a lot of toppings to the pizza crust this is a must.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Your pizza sauce can be anything from the traditional tomato sauce to spreading with ranch salad or simply brushing with a little olive oil, this last one also helps to keep your pizza crust nice and moist.

Try out our homemade creamy white or barbecue sauce recipes bellow, both taste great and are also very quick and easy to make.

However if you would like the traditional homemade pizza recipe here's an easy tomato sauce recipe thats perfect for adding your favorite toppings to.

Easy Tomato Sauce

• 1 can of tomato sauce (8 ounce)
• 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp of dried basil

Just mix all ingredient together and spread over your pizza crust (Try adding Tabasco sauce to make a fiery topping).

Creamy White Pizza Sauce

• 1/3 cup of flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 tablespoons of butter
• 1 pinch(about 1/8 tsp) each of salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder.

In a sauce pan mix flour, salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder. Slowly add the milk and bring to the boil stirring continuously to avoid lumps. As the sauce thickens add the butter until melted, then spread on your pizza crust ready for your toppings.

Barbecue Pizza Sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1/2 tsp each of chili powder - paprika - onion powder - garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp each of ( ground) allspice - cinnamon - mace - black pepper
• 1/8 tsp of liquid smoke (optional)

Simply mix ingredients in a saucepan, then gently heat until the molasses has dissolved. Your homemade barbecue sauce is now ready to use, or you can store it in an air tight container in the fridge for a few days.

It's also worth mentioning that this sauce tastes pretty good on ribs and chicken to, just double up on the ingredients to enjoy some really good homemade barbecue flavored food.

Click here for more of our Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipes

Pizza Toppings

As far as toppings are concerned, in your homemade pizza recipe just about anything goes, however one thing worth remembering is that if you try to add too many toppings and don't pre-bake your pizza crust, you are likely to end up with a soggy pizza crust.

Try to go for good quality full flavored toppings rather than quantity, and add any garnish such as fresh basil after your pizza has been cooked.

Cheese Topping

Simply spread your pizza crust with the pizza sauce and top with shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese and garnish with fresh basil leaves to make a simple tasty topping.

Walnut and goats cheese

• 6 ounces of goats cheese
• 1/2 cup of walnuts
• 2 tablespoons of walnut or olive oil

Brush the home made pizza crust with oil, then crumble the cheese over it. Toss the walnuts in the oil and scatter over your homemade pizza.