How to Make Homemade Pizza? Tried and Tested Recipes from FormAdore

There's hardly anyone who doesn't love a tasty and satisfying pizza. Several types of dough and sauces, and complete freedom in choosing ingredients, make it a very diverse dish that suits almost every taste. You can successfully make homemade pizza in your own kitchen! Buying the necessary equipment and ingredients for pizza is truly simple and inexpensive. Preparing this dish can bring a lot of fun and enjoyment, especially when you involve the whole family in its baking. If you want to learn how to make perfect yeast dough and an aromatic sauce, and you're looking for ideas for pizza toppings, check out our tips, and you'll become a master in baking this Italian delicacy! If you want to know more about Italian cuisine, also check out our Magazine: How to prepare pasta? An Italian delicacy in 5 ways.

The secret to a good pizza is perfect dough. Toppings are also an inseparable part of pizza, and on a perfectly baked base, virtually any of them will taste excellent.

Pizza dough is yeast dough, and yeast loves warmth, so before you start, it's worth warming the flour and other ingredients to room temperature. The water for dissolving the yeast should be around 36 degrees Celsius. When working with yeast dough, on the one hand, you need to be decisive, and on the other ", very delicate. Give it as much time as it needs to become a soft, elastic, bouncy, and ready-to-be-shaped pizza base.

How to make a good pizza? Let's start by taking a closer look at the main ingredients needed for its preparation.

Flour

The best flour for baking pizza is wheat flour type 450. It is precisely thanks to the right flour that the dough is fluffy, soft, and easy to knead. If you want your pizza to be very crispy, opt for bread flour ", type 750 for pizza. The pizza dough will be even better if you use flour that has been previously sieved, which will aerate it and remove any lumps and impurities.

Yeast

For preparing the dough, you can use both fresh and dried yeast. It's worth adding that 7g of dried yeast (1 packet) is equivalent to 25g of fresh yeast.

Olive oil

Ideally extra virgin and cold-pressed, with a low acidity level ", such olive oil is resistant to the high temperatures in the oven during the baking of the pizza base. Adding olive oil to the dough will make it perfectly moist during rising, and at the same time wonderfully fragrant. Store olive oil in special olive oil dispensers ", this will make precise measurement easier.

Kneading the dough

The consistency of pizza dough should be smooth and elastic, i.e., it shouldn't tear into pieces. How long should you knead the dough? It's hard to give specific time frames. You need to knead it vigorously until its structure noticeably changes. Knead the dough on a pastry board, where you can easily combine all the ingredients and protect your kitchen counter from getting dirty. While working on the dough, dust the pastry board with flour until it no longer sticks to your hands. Perfectly kneaded dough should be soft, elastic, and uniform. Of course, when preparing a pizza base, you can make your work easier by using a food processor.

Dough rising

Kneading the dough properly is one thing, but rising is also important and must take place under appropriate conditions ", in warmth and covered, so that the dough doesn't lose its moisture and doesn't cool down. Therefore, it's best to place the bowl with the yeast mixture near a radiator or in another pleasantly warm spot in the house. Otherwise, the yeast won't be able to work, and the mixture won't rise. The dough should rise until it doubles in volume, i.e., about 60 ", 90 minutes.

Yeast dough thickness

It all depends on your preferences and tastes. Some people love pizza straight from an American diner, which is thick and fluffy, while others prefer thin and crispy ", like what's served in Italian pizzerias. One thing is certain, however! Both thick-crust and thin-crust pizza will taste exquisite.

Shaping the pizza base

We can shape pizza in several ways. One of them is to form a pizza base of your chosen size and thickness using a rolling pin. Rolling out the dough will undoubtedly be made easier with a non-stick silicone mat, such as the Mastrad pastry mat, on which forming the dough is a piece of cake! Its additional advantage is a scale, thanks to which you can roll out the dough to a precisely defined size. After creating the pizza base, transfer it to a baking tray or a pizza baking mat.
You can also form a pizza base by stretching the dough on a large, floured wooden pizza peel or directly on an olive oil-greased pizza baking tray, pressing it to the edges. There's also another method, straight from an Italian restaurant, which involves tossing the dough and stretching it on your fists, which seems quite complicated and requires practice, but perhaps you'll dare to try?

Baking the pizza dough

The dough is kneaded, risen, and shaped, so it's time for the last stage of its preparation ", baking! If you prefer thin pizza, put the toppings on the base immediately; if you prefer thick, first pre-bake the base with sauce, and only then arrange the toppings and bake the whole thing. When the smell of yeast dough starts to waft through the whole house, it's a sign that you'll soon be able to enjoy fragrant, delicious, and crispy pizza!

When putting pizza into the oven or a pizza oven, also ensure safety. Be sure to read our Magazine: Caution, hot! How to protect yourself from burns in the kitchen.

Baking a good pizza dough is a true art! Although preparing a yeast mixture requires a bit of time and patience, it's worth the effort ", a reward in the form of a feast with an exquisite, delicious pizza in the starring role is guaranteed!

Below we present 3 foolproof recipes for pizza dough.

Ingredients
4 cups wheat flour
3 teaspoons dry yeast
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons salt

1. Mix the sieved flour with the dry yeast, then make a well in it and add salt, olive oil, and lukewarm water.
2. Knead the dough until it becomes soft and elastic.
3. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a cotton cloth, and set aside to rise for about 60 minutes.
4. After this time, knead the dough once more and shape it into a pizza of your chosen shape, about 5mm thick. Transfer the dough to a baking tray or pizza pan with a non-stick coating, which also has raised edges, so you don't have to worry about sauce spilling all over the oven and ingredients escaping from the base.
5. Spread the sauce and toppings, then set the dough aside once more in a warm place for about 30 minutes to double in volume. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 230 degrees Celsius.

Ingredients
4 cups wheat flour
40g fresh yeast
1.5 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

1. Start preparing the pizza dough by making the starter. Dissolve the yeast with sugar in ¾ cup of warm water. Mix and set aside for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast starts to work (it will start to foam).
2. Sieve the flour onto a pastry board and make a well. Slowly pour the dissolved yeast into the prepared well, gently mixing it with the flour.
3. Add the remaining water and olive oil to the flour, and mix everything again.
4. After the above ingredients are combined, add salt and knead the dough until it becomes pliable and no longer sticks to your hands.
5. Transfer the shaped dough ball to a bowl and cover it with a cloth. Set aside in a warm place to double in volume (about 60 minutes).
6. Briefly knead the risen dough again and form pizza bases of any shape and about 7mm thickness.
7. Transfer the dough to a pizza pan, spread with your favourite sauce, and set aside to rise for about 30 minutes.
8. Then place the dough in an oven preheated to 230 degrees Celsius and bake for 10 minutes. After this time, spread your favourite toppings on the pre-baked sauce and bake for another 15 minutes.

Pizza dough with an incredibly crispy crust? It's possible! All you need to do is add semolina, which is durum wheat flour, which will also give the pizza a golden colour, a unique aroma, and elasticity.

Ingredients
3 cups wheat flour
1 cup semolina flour
1.5 cups lukewarm water
2.5 teaspoons dry yeast
4 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 teaspoons salt

1. Sieve the flour, mix with dry yeast, make a well in it, into which pour water, olive oil, and add salt. Knead the dough, place it in a bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave to rise for about 90 minutes.
2. Briefly knead the risen dough and shape it into pizza of any shape and thickness.
3. Place your favourite sauce and toppings on the base and set the dough aside again to double in volume.
4. Bake at 250 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes.

Freshly prepared, thick, and aromatic sauce based on natural ingredients, which, alongside yeast dough, is a fundamental ingredient of pizza, will perfectly enhance and highlight the taste of the Italian delicacy. We prove that pizza sauce is not just tomato sauce, so below, in addition to the recipe for tomato sauce, you'll find recipes for less obvious, yet equally delicious proposals.

Tomato sauce

Delicious, intensely flavoured sauce with a basil-garlic aroma, which you can prepare in just a few moments, and without cooking!

Ingredients
2 cans of tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
A handful of fresh basil
A teaspoon of sugar
Half a teaspoon each of salt, freshly ground pepper, and Herbes de Provence
5 tablespoons of olive oil

Blend all ingredients until smooth. That's it! An exquisite and fresh tomato sauce is ready.

Cream sauce

Although you need to dedicate a little more time to preparing cream sauce, which goes perfectly with bacon, spinach, asparagus, or broccoli, than to preparing tomato sauce ", it's definitely worth making. We assure you that after tasting a slice of pizza with white sauce, your taste buds will go wild with delight!

Ingredients
200ml double cream
2 shallots
50g butter
A tablespoon of flour
5 cloves of garlic
A teaspoon each of fresh thyme and freshly ground pepper
Half a teaspoon of salt

1. Heat the butter slightly in a saucepan and add the finely chopped shallots. Fry the onion over low heat for 3 minutes, until it softens and becomes transparent.
2. Add the garlic clove passed through a press.
3. After a few minutes, add the flour, mix all ingredients thoroughly.
4. While continuously stirring, slowly pour in the cream. After a moment, the sauce should thicken.
5. Finally, add the seasonings, i.e., salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.

Pesto recipe

Green pesto makes a fantastic, original base for pizza, perfectly complementing both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni salami, or Parma ham. You absolutely must try this combination!

Ingredients
A bunch of fresh basil
A handful of pine nuts
A handful of freshly grated Parmesan
70ml olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
A tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pound the above ingredients, except for salt and pepper, in a mortar or blend them with a blender, then season to taste. And that's it! Simple, isn't it?

Guacamole sauce

Guacamole, a Mexican sauce prepared with avocado, is an original and perhaps somewhat surprising choice for pizza, but oh so healthy and delicious.

Ingredients
Ripe avocado
Lemon or lime
Chilli pepper
A clove of garlic
Half a red onion or shallot
A handful of fresh coriander
A pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons of olive oil

Peel the avocado, cut it in half, remove the pit, and mash the pulp. Add lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and combine with the finely chopped remaining ingredients. Season everything with salt and pepper.

Even good yeast dough isn't enough if we don't complete it with delicious toppings! The basic ingredients of pizza are the sauce and cheese placed on the base. Traditionally, mozzarella is used for baking this Italian dish, but you can successfully replace it with any cheese you fancy. Get the right cheese accessories to make your work easier! You'll primarily need a suitable cheese grater or a Parmesan container. By adding various products to this set, you'll get many interesting and delicious options. What to put on pizza? Essentially, anything your imagination and taste buds suggest can go on it. However, there's no need to go overboard with toppings, as the taste of pizza lies in the quality of the ingredients, not their quantity. Pizza served in the best restaurants is a rather light dish, and it tastes best in this form. Below we offer some ideas for pizza flavour combinations.

• Ham, mushrooms, oregano
• Mozzarella cheese, Parma ham, fresh basil
• Ham, mushrooms, preserved pepper, garlic
• Salami, green olives, pepperoni pepper
• Ham, sausage, onion, fresh pepper
• Ham and pineapple
• Tomato, green olives, feta cheese
• Pepperoni sausage, black olives, rocket
• Mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil
• Pepper, artichokes, black olives
• Ham, tuna, capers
• Shrimp, ham, onion, garlic
• Chicken breast, broccoli, courgette, mozzarella
• Tuna, onion, garlic oil
• Smoked salmon, tuna, onion, garlic oil
• Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled bacon, blue cheese
• Chicken breast, pepper, onion, mozzarella, fresh basil
• Salami, bacon, pepperoni pepper, Tabasco

We hope that these pizza inspirations will help you create a delicious pizza whose taste will ignite your palate!

If you want your Italian bake to look perfect on the table, get yourself high-quality flat, scratch-resistant ceramic or porcelain pizza plates with a small rim, onto which you can easily transfer the baked pizza and serve it to guests. You can choose smooth, elegant plates in a single colour or fantastically decorated ones ", with interesting inscriptions or patterns.

Don't forget a special knife! After all, slicing crispy pizza is quite a challenge! However, this task will be much easier if you equip yourself with a special pizza knife called a mezzaluna, which has a round, rotating blade. With such a tool, you can cut pizza into slices with a single movement of your hand, without worrying about tearing or squashing the dough or toppings shifting.

You now know how to make pizza and how to serve it, so it's time to head to the kitchen, roll up your sleeves, and get stuck into this Italian dish. Knead the dough, set it aside to rise, shape it, and bake it, so you can savour the fragrant dough with your favourite toppings, stretchy cheese, and aromatic sauce. Perhaps you'll serve your homemade pizza during a romantic dinner for your significant other? You can read how to organise an evening for two in our Magazine: Recipe for a romantic dinner. How to create the right atmosphere?

Sharing homemade pizza with friends is also a good idea. In the Magazine, we advise on how to organise a culinary party: A home party with wine and snacks.

Bon appétit!