How to make pizza at home – Italian Food:

How to make pizza at home – Italian Food:

I have received a lot of requests to post homemade pizza recipe from scratch. I never buy store bought pizza base to make pizza as its a breeze to make the base. For those of you who want to learn how to make pizza at home, I have for you an easy pizza dough recipe that has never failed me. Many are intimidated to make pizza from scratch. Let me tell you that homemade pizza recipe is one of the easiest you can ever make and once you get down to making your own pizza at home, you will never buy ready made pizza base or order another takeaway. I guarantee. 

The recipe that I follow is a no frills, an easy to make and ‘no rise’ pizza dough that can be prepared in less than an hour from start to finish. I prepare pizza sauce as and when I require in small portions. I like to add dried Italian herbs to the pizza dough which makes the pizza more flavorful. I usually like to make a thin crust pizza hence roll out the dough as thin as possible. The crust is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza dough ~ Rolled out dough

Homemade pizza sauce spread & grated mozarella cheese sprinkled

Colored bell peppers and basil toppings and some more grated cheese just before baking

Home Made Vegetarian Pizza

A favorite topping of mine is placing tomato slices all over the base and liberally sprinkle mozarella cheese and Italian herb seasoning. Simple and extremely flavorful. What are you favorite pizza toppings? Do share via the comment box. 

My favorite topping ~ Tomato Pizza

How to make Pizza at home Recipe

Prep time: 60 min

Cook time: 15 min

Serves: 4

Main Ingredients: flour tomato cheese

Ingredients

• For Pizza base:
• Plain flour - 2 1/2 cups (maida)
• Instant dry yeast - 2 tsps
• Olive oil - 1 1/2 tbsps
• Honey - 1 tsp (or 1/2 tsp sugar)
• Salt - 3/4 tsp
• Italian seasoning - 1/2 tbsp OR any dried herbs of your choice like oregano, rosemary or basil (optional)
• Water - 1 cup, luke warm
• Cornmeal or Semolina - few tbsps
• For Pizza sauce:
• Onion - 1, medium, finely chopped
• Garlic - 3 cloves, finely minced
• Tomatoes - 2, ripe and large, finely chopped
• Tomato puree - 2 tbsps
• Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red pepper flakes - large pinch
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
• Dried basil - 1/4 tsp or fresh basil - few leaves
• Salt to taste
• Toppings:
• Bell peppers - 1, large, finely sliced
• Fresh basil leaves - few (optional)
• Mozarella cheese - 1 cup, grated
• Parmesan cheese - 4 tbsps (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven at 220 C for 30 mts.
2. In a large wide bowl, add the maida/flour, salt, dried herbs, sugar or honey, yeast and olive oil and mix to combine. Slowly add the warm water and make a dough. If the dough is dry, add a little more water and knead gently for 5-6 mts into a smooth firm dough. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl, cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 15 mts.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 equal portions. Cover them with plastic wrap and allow to rest for another 5 mts. This step helps you to roll out a round shape with the right amount of elasticity for rolling.
4. Lightly grease the back side of cookie sheet (place a cookie sheet upside down) with oil and sprinkle cornmeal or semolina liberally (this will give a good crunch to the base as well ease the removal of the pizza from the cookie sheet without sticking)
5. Place a ball of dough on the cookie sheet and spread it out into a flat disk using your hands. After flattening it to a circle, roll the base as thin as possible using your rolling pin. Ensure that the base is evenly spread out and the edges are slightly thick as shown in the image above.
6. Brush the rim of the pizza base with olive oil, spread 2 heaped tbsps of the pizza sauce evenly all over. Sprinkle the grated mozarella cheese liberally all over.
7. Add any toppings of your choice like tomato slices or bell pepper juliennes, caramelized onions, grilled paneer or chicken and fresh basil leaves. The choice is endless. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese if using.
8. Slide the cookie sheet onto the lower rack of your oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden brown and the pizza base browns along the edges. Allow to rest for 3-4 minutes before slicing. (check from 12 mts on wards - oven heat varies from oven to oven)
9. To prepare Pizza Sauce: In a heavy bottomed vessel, add olive oil and heat on medium flame. Add the minced garlic and saute for a mt. Add the dried oregano and dried basil and mix. Add onions and saute for 5 mts. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute for 3 mts on high. Reduce flame and simmer for 20 mts without lid.
10. Add tomato puree, pepper powder, red chili flakes and salt and mix. Continue to simmer till it becomes a sauce like consistency.
11. Turn off flame and cool. You can blend to a coarse paste at this stage or use the cooked sauce right away. If using fresh oregano or basil, add it towards the end of the cooking process.