Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe

I’ll be honest, I’ve struggled with homemade pizza for years! It was either too doughy, too bready, or just too heavy!

But I’ve recently cracked the case on making this intimidating recipe at home and it’s just 2 simple tricks to achieving light, chewy and crispy crust pizza! 

Recipe Pairing Ideas:

• This pizza recipe would pair beautifully with my Homemade Ceasar Salad recipe or my Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing.
• For dessert, how about some Tiramisu Cupcakes!

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below!

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Tip#1: Make Sure the Yeast Is Good

• Before you set out on your pizza-making adventures, it’s best to start with the yeast.
• If it does not turn all foamy and cloudy like this, it means either your water was not warm enough to activate the yeast, or it was too hot and killed the yeast, or your yeast is no longer good.
• In all cases, it’s best to start again! 

How-To Store Left Over Yeast?

Fold the yeast packet closed and then place it in your refrigerator. It will last 4-6 months that way. Or you can also use it up to my Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Loaf or my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. 

Tip#2: Use Bread Flour

It took me a few years to figure this out, but the best flour for homemade pizza is bread flour! Especially, if you like a light and chewy crust! 

What is bread flour?

• Bread flour is sold in major supermarkets, right next to the all-purpose flour.
• It has more protein in it, which creates more gluten, which absorbs more water which then creates a chewier crust!
• It’s also great for bread and cookies too. But not so great for cakes or muffins. Best to stick with the all-purpose flour for those. 

Tip#3: Pick the Right Rising Spot

• Another key component to pizza dough is getting it to rise properly!
• My two favorite places are on the countertop near a sunny window or in the oven on the Bread Proof setting.
• This is a new feature that a lot of new ovens now have so check to see if yours does too!
• It’s basically a setting at 100F, which is the perfect temperature for rising dough. 

Tip#4: Bake Pizza in a Cast-Iron Skillet

• I’ve tried the pizza stones, the pizza pans, the pizza stone on the BBQ, and in my opinion, nothing is as good as a classic cast-iron skillet.
• I use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet by Lodge size for this recipe.
• The dough will make enough for two pizzas of this size, so be sure to split the dough in half before adding it to your skillet.
• This sized-skillet is also a great size for making my Apple Crisp in a Cast Iron Skillet too! 

Why a Cast-Iron Skillet is Great for Pizza

• It’s a great conductor of heat! Allowing your pizza to bake evenly
• It creates a nice puffy crust
• It delivers a circular pizza! No more free-form, organic shaped pizzas that are hard to serve
• The pre-seasoned cast-iron has a nice non-stick surface alleviating the need for using cornmeal (which I think adds a really weird texture to the bottom of your pizza!)

Tip#5:Pre-Bake on the Cooktop

The other reason why I love baking pizza in a cast-iron skillet is the ability to “pre-bake” it on the cooktop! Three minutes is all you need to get it going and this will assure a nice crispy crust underneath once your pizza is baked. 

Tip#6: Garnish with Fresh Basil

For the best mix of flavors use dried oregano before baking and fresh basil after baking! There’s something so refreshing and delicious about the fresh basil on top of a hot, cheesy pizza! It really takes it to a whole other level! And you can use the extra basil for my Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Mozzarella!

More Yeasted Bread Recipes:

• Focaccia Bread with Caramelized Shallots
• Savory Monkey Bread
• Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
• No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread

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