Italian-American
Homemade Pizza
Pizza dough is mixed from flour, yeast, and water, risen, and topped with sauce and mozzarella. It bakes until the center of the crust is set and the cheese is bubbling.
- Prep
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- The dough is flour, yeast, water, salt, and oil. No mix from a packet.
- A hot oven, not a long bake, sets the center and browns the rim.
- Cheese should bubble, and the middle of the crust should not be wet.
- It is a project meal that still uses ordinary groceries.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Stir the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured counter for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked.
- 2
Oil a clean bowl, turn the dough in it, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until it has doubled. This rise is included in the prep time.
- 3
Heat the oven to 475°F. If you have a pizza stone or an overturned sheet pan, put it in the oven while it heats. The pepperoni is cured and fully cooked.
- 4
Punch the dough down and stretch it on a floured surface into a 12- to 14-inch round. Dust a peel or the back of a cool sheet pan with cornmeal and set the dough on it.
- 5
Spread the sauce, leaving a bare rim. Top with mozzarella, pepperoni, and oregano.
- 6
Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the center of the crust is set, the underside is browned, and the cheese is bubbling. A wet, blond center needs more time. Rest 3 minutes, then slice.
Pro tips
- Warm water should feel like a warm bath, not hot. Hot water kills yeast.
- A limp, pale center means the oven was not hot enough or the dough was too thick in the middle. Stretch it thinner next time.
- Do not load the pizza with a deep pool of sauce. Heavy sauce makes a soggy middle.
Easy substitutions
- Pepperoni
- Sliced mushrooms or bell peppers. No extra meat temperature is needed.
- Mozzarella
- A mix of mozzarella and provolone.
- Instant yeast
- Active dry yeast, bloomed in the warm water for 5 minutes before mixing.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate leftover slices for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm slices on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the crust is crisp again and the cheese is hot.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 374
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Oven
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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