Pizza.com says 93% of Americans have eaten pizza in the last month and over five billion pizzas are sold worldwide each year. Whether it’s homemade or delivery, meaty or veggie, there seems to be the perfect pizza for everyone.
As the demand for pizza rises daily, what could be better than knowing how to make your very own, mouth-watering, pizza?
7 Easy Steps To Make The Perfect Pizza
Equipment
Pizza Oven, Pizza Stone, Pizza Peel, and Pizza Cutter.
Making The Dough
“At home, I serve the kind of food I know the story behind.” -Michael Pollan
While it is cool to purchase your pizza dough, making yours will allow you to control the ingredients and ultimately, the results. A pizza dough recipe will come in handy but if you don’t have one, fear not.
Basic Ingredients
Warm Water, Salt, Yeast, Sugar, Flour, Olive Oil.
- Place 1 tsp of sugar and 2 tsp of yeast into 3 cups of warm water and stir thoroughly.
- In a bigger bowl, add 1.5 tsp of salt into 7 cups of flour. Add 6 tsp of olive oil and stir.
- Add your water and sugar mixture into the bigger bowl and stir.
- When the dough solidifies, turn it out and start kneading with your hands.
- Roll the dough into a ball for 10 minutes or until elastic.
To knead in a Food Processor
- Add all the ingredients into the food processor bowl.
- Slowly add warm water and stop when the dough forms into a ball, without sticking to the sides.
- Process the dough for about 20 more seconds.
Proofing The Dough
After kneading by hand or food processor, the next step is to transfer the kneaded dough into a large bowl. Dab olive oil around the bowl so the dough doesn’t stick. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or towel. Proofing increases the size of the dough while developing its flavor. The longer the proofing period, the more flavor the dough acquires.
Even Out The Dough
Turn the dough out and knead with your hands again for a minute or two. This will even out the bubbles inside the dough. Cut your dough into individual stretchy balls and cover with a towel.
Preparing The Sauce and Toppings
There is a long list of pizza sauces to choose from during pizza making. You can use purée canned tomatoes, crushed, diced, or whole canned tomatoes. You can also mix up the style by stirring tomato paste with water, minced garlic, honey, olive oil, and salt.
Pizza toppings come in different shapes and sizes. The common ones are pepperoni, bacon, vegetables, and cheese. Most people believe tomato sauce and cheese to be indispensable in pizza making. But you can just as well do without them.
Shaping The Dough
Shaping using your hands is preferred to using a rolling pin. A rolling pin can deflate the dough and remove the much-needed pizza air bubbles. Stretch out your dough by doing a finger poke or finger spread. A more skillful technique is to create a spinning motion with your knuckles by tossing and catching the pizza dough.
Baking The Pizza
A pizza stone should already be preheated in your pizza oven. Some alternatives to a pizza stone are a cast iron pan, pizza pans, a cookie sheet, or anything else that can trap heat. The pizza oven should be set at a high temperature.
- Place semolina or bread crumbs on your pizza peel. An alternative is a turned-over baking sheet.
- Assemble the pizza dough on the peel and restretch.
- Pour your prepared pizza sauce evenly into the dough.
- Add toppings like mozzarella cheese.
- Transition the dough from the peel to the preheated pizza stone.
- Monitor the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Removing The Pizza
Once the pizza is cooked, use your pizza peel to remove it from the pizza oven. Use a pizza cutter to divide the pizza into neat segments.
Tips For Making The Perfect Pizza
- The importance of quality ingredients cannot be overemphasized. Ensure you check the freshness of every ingredient used for your pizza.
- Always keep your dough covered.
- Do not overproof your pizza dough. A good way to know the stopping point is to observe when the dough doubles in size.
- Ensure you set your pizza maker oven at a very high temperature.
Conclusion
The foolproof way to get better at anything is through practice. Whether you’re having a little get-together at home or you just want pizza for lunch or dinner, it is always good to keep practicing. Pizza has become a lifestyle, and by following these 7 easy steps, you’re fast on your way to becoming a pizza maestro.
