How to Make Pizza
Pizza is such a popular item that many people want to learn how to make it at home. Even with the number of pizzerias willing to deliver a hot pizza pie to your door, nothing beats the taste of homemade dough and pizza fresh out of the oven. For those who are a little less adventurous, there are premade pizza shells available at most grocery stores and all you have to do is add sauce, cheese, and toppings to have a homemade pizza.
When making pizza at home, you'll need to decide if you want to use a round pizza pan or bake a large rectangular pizza in a sheet pan. Round pizzas are the most commonly seen type, but in some regions in Italy pizza is always made in square or rectangular metal pans. Sheet pizzas allow you to have a thicker crust on the entire pizza rather than just at the edge. Either way you make it, the general idea of making pizza is the same.
Making the Dough
Pizza dough is a rather simple process very similar to making bread dough. You need at least two cups of flour, a packet of yeast, ¾ cups of warm water, a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil. You will put the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and allow the yeast to sit for at least 10 minutes. Add in the olive oil and salt before gradually mixing in the flour. Once you have a dough ball, knead it until it's elastic, drizzle a bit of olive oil over it and allow it to rise for one hour.
Once the dough rises, punch it down and split the ball into two pieces. You can roll it out and make a pizza, but it's really best to wrap the dough balls and allow them to chill overnight. Not only will cold dough be easier to work with, but the yeast will continue to ferment and flavor the dough.
Roll It Out and Bake
When you're ready to bake, spread a bit of cornmeal onto your countertop and roll the dough out to the size of your pizza pan. Don't expect the perfectly round pizzas you get from pizzerias. It's okay if your dough isn't perfectly round, it will lend a more rustic feel to your pizza. Spread your favorite pizza sauce onto the dough. Some people like to stick with the traditional tomato sauce while others experiment with white sauce or oils. Add your cheese and toppings, making sure that you leave at least one inch of dough around the edge.
Freezing Pizza
If you want to make pizzas and freeze them for later, just follow the above recipe. You can freeze the dough or make the entire pizza and freeze it. To give a frozen pizza fresh flavor, only freeze it with the cheese and sauce on it. Add your toppings the night you're going to bake it.
Remember to thoroughly cook any meat toppings before adding them to your pizza. Your pizza will not bake long enough to cook raw meat toppings on a pizza. Take advantage of homemade pizza to experiment with a variety of flavors and toppings. Eventually you'll have your own signature pie.