Homemade cheese pizza is one of life's simple pleasures. The pizza just consists of a soft crust, great tomato sauce and lots of cheese, baked to perfection. While you can buy dough and a jar of sauce from the store, a little extra effort will be worth it.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 165 ml of warm water (approximately 38°C)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 15 ml olive oil
- 250 grams of wheat flour
Pizza Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 397 grams of crushed canned red tomatoes
- 397 grams of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped, or 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 small onion, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese
- 75 grams of grated mozzarella cheese
- 37.5 grams of grated Parmesan cheese
Optional: asiago cheese, Romano, grated Ricotta
Step
Method 1 of 3: Preparing the Dough
Step 1. Activate yeast in warm water
Add the yeast and sugar to the water (the water should be warm to the touch, but not burning the skin) and mix gently. Leave it for 6-7 minutes, until small bubbles appear on the surface of the water.
Activating the yeast means feeding it. The yeast eats the sugar and drinks the water. The bubbles are carbon dioxide that is created when the yeast "breathes."
Step 2. Transfer the yeast to a large bowl and add the salt and flour
Add the flour little by little. Add more flour as the flour absorbs the water and yeast. Use one hand to add the flour and the other to mix it.
Step 3. Pour in the olive oil after you add the flour
The olive oil keeps the dough from sticking to the bowl or your hands, and keeps it moist. Keep stirring until the mixture is shiny and sticky, but not sticky. Take a small piece of dough and stretch it until it is thin and light can penetrate it. If the dough doesn't tear, it's ready to be kneaded.
Step 4. Knead the dough
Use one hand to work the dough together, then press firmly in the center of the dough with the heel of your hand (the part that sticks out near your wrist).
- Fold the edges of the dough up and toward you, press again with your hands, and repeat. Continue this "press-fold-back" technique for 3-4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.
- If the dough is wet or sticky, sprinkle additional flour over the dough and on your hands.
Step 5. Leave the dough for 1 hour to rise
If you need more time, you can store the dough in the refrigerator. If stored in the refrigerator, the dough will rise within 4-5 hours. When it's done rising, the dough will be at least twice its original size.
Step 6. Place the dough on a floured surface
Sprinkle two or three tablespoons of flour on a cutting board or counter to prevent the dough from sticking. If you are making two small pizzas, cut the dough ball in half.
Step 7. Using your fingers, pull and make the dough flat
Use the palm of your hand to make the dough ball into a disc shape, then flatten the dough using your fingers. This process takes practice, but take it slow and press the pizza into the shape of the pizza crust you want. When you're done, fold the 1.27cm edge of the dough back to form the crust.
Do this from the center of the dough outwards to prevent the dough from tearing
Step 8. If you are confident, roll the dough up to make a perfectly round dough
While you can make great pizza crusts without the famous "pizza throw," there's a certain satisfaction in making pizza crusts like the experts.
- Make a fist and place the flattened dough on it.
- Make a fist with your other hand and position the dough so that it covers both of your fists.
- Carefully stretch out the dough by keeping your fists away from each other.
- Move your hands (left hand toward your face, right hand away) until the dough rolls and stretches.
- When the dough is 20 cm in diameter, you can quickly bend your left hand toward your face. Do this while rotating your right hand forward, away from your face. If you push it up a little, the dough will roll like a frisbee. Do the exercises to learn how to balance the twisting force.
- Be sure to catch the falling dough as gently as possible by lowering your fist as the pizza crust falls.
- If the dough tears, put it together and knead it again for 30 seconds, and start again.
Method 2 of 3: Making Pizza Sauce
Step 1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Step 2. Add chopped garlic and onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes
The edges of the onion should appear translucent, or slightly translucent.
You can add chopped chilies or bell peppers for a spicier sauce, or finely chopped carrots and celery for a sweeter sauce
Step 3. Pour in the canned tomatoes
If you want a smoother sauce, use tomato paste.
Step 4. Add the spices, salt and pepper
Stir well.
Step 5. Heat the sauce briefly until it boils
Heat the sauce until large bubbles pop on the surface, then reduce the heat to low. Stir continuously.
Step 6. Heat the sauce over low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour
The longer the sauce is heated, the richer and thicker it will become.
Step 7. Taste the sauce and add more seasoning if needed
Many pizza sauces are sweet, so some cooks add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Fresh basil or rosemary can also add flavor to pizza sauce.
Step 8. Cool the sauce and puree the sauce if you wish
Pour the cooled sauce into a food processor and puree the sauce to remove large chunks of tomatoes or onions. This step isn't necessary if you want a coarser pizza.
Step 9. You can also try white sauce or garlic oil
While red sauce is the "classic" sauce, there are many other ways to season cheese pizza. Try white sauce, or saute 2-3 cloves of garlic using 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use the garlic oil instead of the sauce to make garlic cheese pizza.
Method 3 of 3: Making Pizza
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 177°C
Step 2. Coat an oven tin or baking sheet with oil, flour, or cornstarch
This will prevent the pizza from sticking to the pan when it's finished baking. Cornstarch, which can be found in many supermarkets, is a classic "restaurant-style" ingredient.
If you're using a pizza stone (a pizza grill made of stone or clay), sprinkle some cornstarch on top and then place the pizza stone in the oven to preheat
Step 3. Prepare the dough on a non-stick surface
If the pizza stone is heating up, sprinkle a little flour over the surface and place the dough on top. If you are using a regular baking sheet, place the dough directly on the surface.
Step 4. Spread the sauce on the dough
Empty 1.27 cm of dough around the edges of the pizza crust without spreading the sauce.
Step 5. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce
Sprinkle your cheese mixture evenly over the sauce. While mozzarella is the type of cheese most often used for pizza, try mixing in grated Romano, Parmesan, provolone, Asiago, or a little Ricotta cheese.
Step 6. Bake the pizza in the oven for 15 minutes
If you're baking two pizzas at the same time and they're on separate pans, swap the pizzas halfway through the baking. This is to ensure that both pizzas are evenly baked.
