This guide is going to walk you through everything from A to Piz-Z-a about cooking homemade pizza from scratch. All the recipes, ovens, and tools that you’ll need all in one place. Let’s go!
Go to any state in the country and one of the first things you’re likely to do when you’re hungry is sample their pizza. From Chicago deep dish to New York’s famed hand-thrown, thin crust, pizza is a signature dish that’s a staple on most dinner tables and the perfect meal on the go.
Offer pizza to any family at mealtime, and even the children will be enthusiastic about having it for dinner. It’s also a quick and easy lunch option if you’re on the clock. And hey, there are even breakfast and dessert pizzas rapidly rising in popularity. It also makes fantastic leftovers, whether you choose to reheat it or take it straight from the box and eat it cold.
If you’re making it at home, pizza is economical and highly customizable. With homemade pizza, you can make your own dough and sauce and pile on any toppings that tickle your taste buds. If you’re feeling nervous about dealing with yeast to make your dough rise, put those worries to rest! All you need is self-rising yeast and warm water for it to do its magic.
Although you don’t need any special kitchen equipment to create a pizza masterpiece, many people swear by pizza ovens. An investment like this will earn back its price tag if you consider the cost of the pies you order and have delivered on a regular basis.
Whether you prefer thin-crust Neapolitan or square, substantial squares of Sicilian, or even the newest vegan varieties with riced cauliflower crust, pizza is a staple in the American diet, and it’s certainly here to stay.
A Brief History of Pizza
What are the origins of this gooey, cheesy delight?
People have actually been eating pizza, in one form or another, for centuries. Historically, flatbread with savory toppings was prepared as a quick and tasty meal for people who either didn’t have plates (which seems odd!), or were too busy to sit down and eat. Picking up a slice or two on the go is still a favorite way to eat this highly-portable food.
A variety of ancient cultures made the most basic flatbreads with several toppings. An early form of pizza was probably the focaccia, a flat bread known to the Romans.
If you guessed Italy as the place given the credit for making the first pizza as we know it today, you guessed correctly. Modern pizza was first created by a baker in Naples, Italy in the 18th century. According to legend, the baker was experimenting with different kinds of breads when he stumbled on the notion of a flat bread, adding tomato sauce and topping with cheese and vegetables.
How did pizza make its way to America? That honor is given to Lombardi’s as the first pizzeria in North America. Gennaro Lombardi opened his eatery in 1905 on Spring Street in New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood. The famed pizza place is still open to this day! After its initial debut, pizza began to grow in popularity through New York, New Jersey, and other areas with large Italian immigrant populations.
A Guide to Pizza Varieties and Specialties
America is known as being a melting pot of people from diverse backgrounds around the globe, and when it comes to pizza, we can thank immigrants from other countries for bringing over their unique types of pizza, all of which are still enjoyed today.
Neapolitan Pizza
Neapolitan, the original pizza, dates all the way back to 18th century in Naples, Italy. During this time, the poorer residents of the city looked for food that was cheap and could be eaten quickly. They could pick up a slice for a reasonable price from street vendors who lined the streets.
Neapolitan Pizza Traditional Toppings:
Neapolitan pizza is usually topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, oregano, basil leaves and olive oil. But you can’t pile layers of extra toppings on Neapolitan pizza, because it isn’t made to hold up under the weight of too many toppings. In fact, this type of pizza is so thin, some people eat with a fork and knife.
Sicilian Pizza
In direct contrast is Sicilian pizza, a thick cut of pizza with pillowy dough, a crunchy crust, and a rich, sometimes spicy tomato sauce. It is cut in squares rather than triangular slices. This pizza can be served with or without cheese. Frequently, it is made with the cheese underneath the sauce to prevent the crust from becoming soggy. Sicilian immigrants brought this style to America in the 19th century. It caught on in the United States after WWII.
Sicilian Pizza Traditional Toppings:
Sicilian pizzas are often topped with chopped tomato, onion, anchovies, and Italian herbs.
Greek Pizza
Greek pizza was created by Greek immigrants who came to America and were introduced to Italian pizza. Then they put their own spin on it! Greek-style pizza became popular especially along the Eastern coast. Baked in shallow, oiled pans, Greek pizza has a thick and chewy crust that is puffier than thin crust pizzas, but still not quite as thick as a Sicilian crust.
Greek Pizza Traditional Toppings:
The pizza has a rich sauce with lots of oregano. It is often topped only with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar or provolone cheese, but may include It Greek toppings including feta cheese, black olives, and red onion.
California Pizza
California pizza, considered a gourmet pizza, is known for its creative ingredients. This pizza got its start back in the late 1970’s when a chef began to try out new pizza recipes in an Italian restaurant. His untraditional creation was a pizza with mustard, ricotta and red pepper. An Italian restauranteur tried the concoction, and hired the chef on the spot to make pizza. The innovative chef came up with over 250 unique pizza recipes that quickly found a following of hungry Californians.
California Pizza Traditional Toppings:
When it comes to California pizza, there’s no such thing as traditional toppings. If you’re making this type of pie, be creative! You can include anything from chicken and artichokes to goat cheese and egg.
Cauliflower Pizza
One of the newest trends for health-conscious pizza fans is using cauliflower for dough. Below is a recipe for tasty vegetarian pizza you won’t even know isn’t made with traditional dough!
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 500˚F (260˚C).
- Remove the leaves and stem of the cauliflower.
- Transfer pieces to a food processor and rice the cauliflower by pulsing it in the food processor, or by shredding it on a box grater.
- Once riced, transfer to a large bowl and microwave for 4 minutes. Let it cool down for a few minutes before handling.
- Place cooked cauliflower on a clean towel and wring out as much liquid as you can.
- Place wrung cauliflower in a bowl and combine with mozzarella, oregano, basil, salt, garlic powder, and the egg. Mix well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the cauliflower mixture in the middle. Spread out the mixture and form a circle out of the cauliflower mixture, pushing along the edge to raise a “crust.”
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust has become golden brown in the center and on the edges.
- Top with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings, being careful not to overload the pizza.
- Bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted.
Chicago Pizza
When you think of Chicago pizza, you no doubt picture a sizzling deep-dish pie. In the early 1900’s, Italian immigrants in the city were looking for something similar to the Neapolitan, but weren’t fans of the signature thin crust. Instead, a chef created pizza with a thick crust with high edges like a fruit pie.
Early chefs also put the ingredients in reverse, with slices of mozzarella lining the dough followed by meat, vegetables, and then topped with a can of juicy crushed tomatoes.
Chicago Pizza Toppings:
The toppings for Chicago pizza are traditional sausage, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, and green peppers, placed underneath the tomato sauce. You can also top off the pizza with a dash of Parmesan cheese across the tomato sauce.
New York-Style Pizza
New York pizza is known for being large slices you can fold while eating. It is one of America’s most famous regional pizza types. Originally a variation of Neapolitan-style pizza, the New York slice has taken on a huge following of pizza lovers from everyone visiting the Big Apple.
New York-Style Pizza Traditional Toppings:
While this style of pizza can have virtually any topping added to it, it’s common to find pizza lovers topping New York pizza with pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms, and condiments like oregano, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
Detroit Pizza
The auto industry is a cornerstone in the history of this city, and believe it or not, Detroit-style pizza was originally baked in a square automotive parts pan in the 1940’s.
Detroit pizza is first topped with pepperoni, followed by thick cheese which is spread to the very edges of the pan, yielding a caramelized cheese perimeter. Sauce is then poured over the pizza, similar to Chicago-style pizza. This pizza features a thick, extra crispy crust that is tender and airy on the inside.
Detroit Pizza Traditional Toppings:
Detroit pizza typically include pepperoni, thick cheese and spicy tomato sauce. Other typical toppings are mushrooms and olives.
Vegan Pizza
You can make completely dairy-free pizza without cheese. But piled high with tasty toppings, you won’t even miss the mozzarella.
Here are some ideas for topping a vegan pizza:
- finely chopped tomatoes (crushed tomato puree)
- mushrooms
- artichoke
- pitted black olives
- fresh pineapple
- arugula
- fresh spinach
- red onion
- red or green peppers
- olive oil
- sundried tomatoes
- thinly sliced zucchini
- Brussel sprouts
- red cabbage
- Pesto or dried basil, oregano and a blend of Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Is Pizza a Health Food?
Along with being delicious, pizza is actually considered a healthy food. The average slice of pizza has about 12 grams of protein, which is a building block to a well-rounded diet. Top it with fresh veggies like red peppers, broccoli, mushrooms or even more tomatoes, and you’ve gotten a recommended serving for the day. Pizza can also help you absorb Lycopene, an antioxidant found in brightly-colored vegetables, that may lower blood pressure rates.
Fresh pizza made at home is a fast, easy and inexpensive option. A full-size homemade pie comes in at a paltry $4 in cost. You can customize it any way your family prefers, and even get the kids to roll up their sleeves and make their own. As an added benefit, you won’t have to pay any delivery charges!
A Rundown on Pizza Ingredients
You certainly do not need to be Julia Childs in the kitchen to create the perfect pizza (although I bet it helps).
Pizza Dough
It all starts with the perfect crust. You can find pre-made pizza dough in the refrigerated section of your favorite grocery store for about $2 and use it immediately as the base. Or, there are many dough mixes that only need water and a little time for it to rise that are available for around $6. You just knead the dough on a floured surface, or even try hand tossing it, just try not to make it stick to the ceiling!
You can make your own dough with just a few minutes time and a small list of ingredients.
Fancy bread flour isn’t really necessary, as regular all-purpose flour will give you basically the same results. Speaking of which, flour and water are relatively bland, so feel free to spice up your dough with garlic salt, dried basil or mixed Italian spices.
Here’s one recipe for making dough at home, courtesy of Fleischmann’s Yeast:
- Combine 1 cup flour, 1 packet of undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- Add very warm water and a little olive oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
- Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
- Knead gently on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
Voila!
Yeast is what causes the pizza dough to rise. The best pizza dough recipes produce dough that rises quickly, making for an airy and bubbly crust.
You also don’t need to have any special kitchen equipment on hand! All you will need is a large mixing bowl, whisk, measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients, spatula and a rolling pin.
Pizza Sauce
Browse the Italian foods section at your market, and you will get an idea of the enormous variety of sauces. From chunky marinara to garlicky spiced to flavored with meat, you can choose whatever suits your taste. If you’re super health conscious, there are low-sugar and lower sodium versions. You can even make your own, especially if you’re lucky enough to have an old family recipe!
Here is a simple pizza sauce recipe from Food Network:
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice
- A small white or sweet onion, finely diced and minced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
- Optional pinch of sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil to sauté
Directions
- Empty the contents of the tomato can in a mixing bowl and coarsely crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands, leaving them just a little chunky.
- In a heavy bottom 2-quart saucepot, add the olive oil over a medium high flame and heat a little.
- Add the onions and saute until slightly translucent. Then add the garlic and saute about a minute until golden.
- Throw the crushed tomatoes to the mix. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add the fresh basil and oregano. You can add a touch of sugar if desired or if tomatoes are tart.
- Simmer on a low flame, stirring often for at least 15 minutes.
- If you are not serving it right away, cool down and store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Here Comes the Cheese
Then comes the crown jewel: the cheese. Most commercial pizzas are topped with full-milk mozzarella, but the choices are plentiful. Popular varieties also include cheddar, provolone, parmesan and a rich ricotta. Feel free to pile a variety of cheeses on your homemade pie for an explosion of taste!
Top It Off
Toppings have gone much further than the ho-hum pepperoni or olives. Today’s pizzas range from buffalo chicken to ham and pineapple to veggies with ranch dressing. Popular toppings now include jalapenos, bacon, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, most of which won’t make a dent in your wallet when you buy them at the store. Many toppings can be chopped up from fresh ingredients right at home.
Don’t be afraid to liberally sprinkle herbs and spices on your pie! Try basil, oregano and crushed red pepper.
Pizza Oven vs Your Home Oven
Pizza aficionados rave about using pizza ovens rather than a conventional oven. The prices vary from affordable to being a rather large investment, so you may ask yourself, are they worth it?
One of the biggest differences in the type of pie produced is its texture. Pizza ovens are a roaring 900-degrees vs a convection oven’s temperature of around 500-degrees. Higher temps cook the pizza in around 2 minutes, while you will need to leave your pizza in a regular oven around 20 minutes. This makes a substantially drier crust. A pizza stove, however, sears the outside to a crisp and leaves the inside moist and pillowy.
Pizza ovens can be pricey. While you can get a compact self-standing version for around $200, more elaborate products are as much as $1,000+.
Pizza ovens for your outdoor grill
Pizza ovens for your outdoor grill You can think of this as barbequing your pizza. All you have to do is place the small oven on top of a grill and make gourmet pizza in 2-4 minutes (performance may vary by grill). It can convert most 3 burner and larger gas grills and large charcoal or pellet grills into a pizza oven. As a bonus, you can also use it to make breads, roasts meats, and cook vegetables and fish.
Permanent outdoor brick pizza oven
For about $200, you can order a kit to build your own outdoor brick pizza oven. Think of this as an indoor fireplace made larger and moved outside. The large, half-barrel shaped permanent pizza oven typically has 1,000 square inches off cooking surface that can make pizza for 20 to 25 guests.
A permanent outdoor brick pizza oven can be a centerpiece in your outdoor dining space.
Food Truck pizza oven
Although the field is competitive, there’s a high demand for a great pizza made in a food truck. However, it is an investment! High volume pizza ovens can come with an astonishing $20,000 price tag.
But you need cooking equipment that can handle all the challenges that you will encounter inside the truck. Selecting the best pizza oven for your food truck involves attention to detail.
You need to keep an eye on the size, type, weight, and more to see if the truck can handle them. These large commercial ovens need to have a proper way of transporting them. So if you buy one, make sure that your food truck can handle the weight and energy that they need to hold and transport the pizza oven.
Types Of Pizza Ovens
A traditional wood-fired pizza oven, also known as a masonry oven, is a type of cooking equipment which consists of a baking chamber made out of bricks, clay, concrete, stone, cob or ceramics. It is commonly made with a simple floor of fire bricks and is fueled by firewood.
Ovens come with wood, gas, or an electric source to heat up.
If you don’t want wood, you may decide to go with the gas option as you can still add a small amount of wood inside to create the smoky flavor that you want.
Electric ovens are great for reducing energy consumption.
Most pizza ovens are assembled from kits, but they can also include a permanent brick or cement base.
Stone baked pizza
A pizza stone is a thin slab of heavy-duty ceramic designed to cook pizza or other breads. They come in either round or square shapes, and distribute heat evenly and absorb moisture for thin, crispy pizza.
A 12 x 12 inch ceramic pizza stone made to put on the first level of your oven can reach a temperature to 700°F or higher within 20-30 minutes and keeps your pizza heated evenly. You can also cook other foods, like steak, breads or meats. The total cooking area is about 144 square Inches.
This type of pizza cooking equipment doesn’t smoke and affect your pizza’s fresh flavor.
It is recommended that you scrub your pizza stone with soap and water before using it to guarantee that it is completely clean from the manufacturing process. Then, apply vegetable or olive oil on both sides of the pizza stone.
If your stone begins to smoke, remove grease and oils by cleaning the stone with baking soda. Also make sure to clean your oven, since char will affect the flavor of your homemade pizza.
You can also use a pizza stone as a great way to reheat leftover pizza, as it will make the crust crisp again.
Wood fired pizza oven
This outdoor pizza oven barbeques pizza because the oven is fueled by using fire wood. Most wood burning pizza have a built-in thermometer, helping you to monitor the temperature for the best results your taste buds are looking for.
For around $375, you can get a wood fired outdoor pizza oven that’s lightweight and portable. They have a dome-shaped structure to keep the heat at a stable temperature throughout cooking. Even after the fire in the back or side of the oven is put out, it will retain its heat for a long time.
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Most are powder-coated carbon steel shell for optimal heat retention. When combined with the natural efficiency of wood, you minimize the time needed to cook the pizz. As an added benefit, there is minimal energy waste.
Beech wood is one of the most common types of firewood for pizza ovens in Italy.
Propane pizza oven
These gas pizza ovens with 23000 BTU burners can reach a high temperature of 662 ºF in 5-7 minutes. The arc-shaped furnace chamber design of these propane pizza ovens can save and circulate the heat energy to the maximum efficiency.
Electric pizza oven
These look like an oversized toaster oven on your counter top, and can bake a 9″inch pizza in only 6 minutes. They are stainless steel and preheat in minutes. You can also use it to make frozen snacks, bake cookies and more. If you’re looking for speed an efficiency instead of tradition and leisure, the the electric pizza oven is probably more your style.
Commercial pizza oven
A commercial pizza oven averages around 2200 watts and can sit on a countertop. The commercial ovens set on countertops can be used for cooking a 14-inch pizza but also baked meals and a wide menu of foods such as potatoes, bread, cakes, pies, and pastries, and more.
Commercial ovens are made of stainless steel, are durable and sturdy, and easy to clean and maintain. They have a glass window so you can keep an eye on what’s baking.
Pizza Oven Accessories
You’ll need some other tools other than just the oven if you want to experience the true homemade pizza life. Not all of these tools are required and some of them are superfluous, but I wanted to list them all here for your convenience either way.
Wooden Pizza Peel
Pizza peels are made for lifting pizzas out of the oven, while keeping hands and arms away from the heat. They run about $15. There is a full guide on how to use a pizza peel right here on Pizza Oven Radar!
While some are made of all metal, wood peels feature a tapered half-inch blade designed to easily slide under the pizza from a safe distance from your oven.
They are usually hand-wash only.
Heat Resistant Gloves
For around $20 and up, a 16 inch grill glove with extra long 7.5 inches sleeve protects your hands and forearms from hot coals and open flames, They are guaranteed to withstand extreme temperatures up to 932°F (500℃).
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Ash Rake for a Wood Fired Pizza Oven
For around $25, you can pick up an ash rake and brush that makes cleaning your cooking grates – and your firebox – faster and with less dust. Use the scraper blade to clean firebox ash beds or flip over to clean cooking surfaces with the removable brush head.
Oven Brush for a Wood Fired Pizza Oven
Most oven brushes have an aluminum handle, durable brass bristles, and an adjustable head. This makes it ideal for reaching deep into your pizza oven to remove residual burnt food, heavy grease, and rust.
Metal Ash Can for a Wood Fired Pizza Oven
It’s smart to invest in a 6 gallon rust-proof steel locking lid trash can to sweep ashes into before they blow around your campsite or back yard.
Pizza Bubble Popper
Also called a pizza spinner, these 18” long metal tongs cost around $12, and are used to turn your pizza while cooking, helping to produce an evenly cooked crust and toppings.
The spinners are also perfect for popping bubbles in the crust that can rise up while cooking and interfere with the appearance of your pie.
Large Cutting Board
No matter what kind of pizza cutter you are using, you will need a large or extra large cutting board so you don’t ruin countertops.
Pizza Cutter
For around $20 and up, you will need some kind of pizza cutter.
Sure, you can use the typical handheld round wheel to cut pizza, or you can do it like the pros with a larger blade that cleanly cuts even deep-dish pizza into perfect rectangular or square slices.
These products have an ergonomic handle helps you cut the pizza with a smooth rocking motion. The rounded blade cuts efficiently with one rocking motion. Look for one that comes with a sharpener and a safety blade cover.
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Apron
Play the part of a bonafide chef and protect your clothes from splashes of sauce by wearing a kitchen apron.
Timer
Timing is everything when it comes to baking the perfect homemade pizza. Take it out too soon, and your cheese and toppings won’t be hot. Too much time will result in a burned crust.
The amount of time needed to bake pizza varies wildly depending on the type of dish or pizza stone you are using, so follow a recipe carefully and always set a timer!
Infrared Thermometer
Starting at around $25 and up, these are used to monitor internal temperatures of food. Having one of these is quite important to ensure the oven and pizza stone is heated to the correct temperature. You’ll want to check the temperature throughout cooking to make sure the pizza doesn’t burn or get too soggy.
One of the absolute best (and accurate) I.R. thermometers is the one below from Inkbird. It goes up to 1000°F (537°C), is quite accurate, and was designed and made with pizza in mind.
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Books On How To Make Homemade Pizza
There’s nothing as helpful as a good cookbook when you are trying out new recipes, and this holds true for making delectable homemade pizza as well.
Here is a sampling of what’s out there:
The Pizza Cookbook
This book has easy-to-follow directions and delicious recipes from the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen chefs.
It shows you how to make more than 20 types of pizza whether you’re baking in a standard oven, an outdoor grill, a large backyard pizza oven, or a small countertop oven.
The Elements Of Pizza
Billed as helping you unlock the secret to world-class pies at home, The Elements of Pizza breaks down each step of the pizza-making process, from choosing a dough to shaping your pie to selecting cheeses and toppings that will work for your home kitchen setup.
Pizza Czar
In his comprehensive first book, legendary pizza czar Anthony Falco teaches you everything you need to know to make pizza from many regions, drawing from his singular experience opening pizzerias around the globe.
The Pizza Bible
This cookbook is a comprehensive guide to making pizza, covering nine different regional styles–including Neapolitan, Roman, Chicago, and Californian–from 12-time world Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani.
Pizza Journal
Do you want to keep track of the pizza you cook, and make notes about each tweak to your recipes and how it affects the finished pizza? Then this Pizza Journal is for you. It’s a good way to organize all your favorite pizza recipes in one place.
Special Types of Pizza
Who says pizza has to be topped with cheese and tomato sauce and eaten as a main dish for dinner? There are tons of ways to be creative and transform the basic style of pizza into your own masterpiece.
Dessert Pizza
They may look like a pizza because they are round and cut in slices, but dessert pizzas diverge wildly from the crust-sauce-cheese variety we’re all accustomed to.
Here are some suggestions for make-it-yourself scrumptious dessert pizzas:
Apple Crisp with tons of brown sugar and cinnamon
Chocolate, sprinkled with M&Ms
Fruit, with berries and pastry cream
Smores pizza with a graham cracker crust topped with chocolate chips and marshmallows
Trick or Treat, piled high with any leftovers after October 31st.
Breakfast Pizza
* Courtesy of Pillsbury
Ingredients
- 1 can (13.8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury Classic Crust Pizza Crust
- ½ cup coarsely chopped bacon (3 slices)
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 4 oz (half of 8-oz package) cream cheese, cut into small pieces
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
- ½ cup sliced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
Directions
- Heat oven to 400°F for dark or nonstick pan (425°F for all other pans). Spray 14-inch round pizza pan with cooking spray.
- Unroll dough and place on pan. Starting at center, press out dough to edge of pan. Bake about 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon 4 to 6 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until just crispy. Remove bacon; drain drippings, leaving 1 teaspoon in skillet.
- In same skillet, add eggs and cook 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, until firm but still moist.
- Spoon and spread eggs over partially baked crust. Drop cream cheese over eggs. Top with Monterey Jack cheese, bell pepper, onion and bacon. Bake 9 to 13 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. To serve, cut into 6 wedges.
Different Types of Pizza Pans
Ask yourself what kind of pizza you’d like to make at home. Your answer will help you choose from among the large number of pizza pans, because each one will give you a distinct style of pizza.
Here are some common choices:
Deep Dish Pizza Pans
This type of pans will have high metal side walls. You can pick a round or square pan. Look for one that’s labelled “non-stick.”
Pizza Screens and Disks
These screens speed up the time it takes to bake your pizza. Since the screens have a mesh base, heat will rise quickly to the pizza dough, making this a good choice if you enjoy a crispy, thinner crust.
Pizza Stones
Pizza stones also make a crispier crust, because the porous material of the stone absorbs excess moisture from the dough. The main advantage to a stone is an overall crispier crust.
Cast Iron Pizza Pans
You can bake pizza many ways with a cast iron pizza pan. Try it on the stove top, grill, in your oven and even under the broiler. These heavy weight pans have high edges and will produce a pizza that holds tons of toppings.
Final Thoughts
We have the city of Naples, Italy, to thank for creating the all-American favorite for kids and adults alike. Whether you crave a thin-crust Naepolian or the thicker Sicilian; mozzarella or ricotta cheese; loaded with toppings or plain, there’s something for everyone when it comes to pizza.
Making dough and sauce is easy for even newbies to pizza making. Once you’ve become more expert, you can try out your own creative ideas.
You can bake in your oven, or use any number of outdoor methods including permanent pizza ovens, countertop options or cooking right on your grill.
Today’s enormous selection of pizza recipes, pans and ovens let you concoct your family’s perfect pie, leaving them with an appetite for more.
Happy pizza-making!
