You know what they say: even a bad pizza is a good pizza! Well, most of the time anyway. In a world of Uber Eats and quick meals available at the click of a button, making your own homemade pizza can be a fun and tasty experience.
If you’ve ever made a pizza from scratch before, you may have thought “it just doesn’t taste as good as the local pizzeria”. Stay tuned, because here we’re going to change that.
Here are seven tips for taking your homemade pizza to the next level… Read on to find out more.
#1 – Bring Home That Dough, Baby!
If you’re like most people, your homemade pizza probably starts off with a store-bought base or refrigerated pizza dough from the deli section. However, if you want to elevate your humble homemade pizza, the time has come to venture into making your own pizza dough.
Whilst making pizza dough from scratch may sound intimidating, it’s in fact pretty easy to do. All you need is a handful of ingredients – flour, yeast, water, sugar and salt. And if you’re not a fan of manually kneading dough, fret not…simply get yourself a KitchenAid stand mixer and attach the dough hook and let the machine do the job for you.
Trust us, store-bought pizzas will never sit on the same high podium again once you’ve mastered the art of freshly made dough right in the comfort of your own home!
#2 – Splurge On The Cheese
If you’re on the quest to make the perfect homemade pizza, you’re going to have to say goodbye to cheap, pre-shredded bags of cheese and hello to the good stuff. Instead of using No Frills mozzarella, head to your local farmer’s market and get yourself a fresh ball of Buffalo Mozzarella. And if you really want to get fancy, try out some Brie, Ricotta or Goat Cheese on your pizza. The pizza world is your oyster…though we wouldn’t recommend topping your pizza with oysters!
#3 – Homemade Tomato Sauce
No more canned or jar pizza sauce – to elevate the homemade pizza from humble to hallelujah, you need to make your own batch of homemade tomato sauce. To make pizza sauce all you need is fresh or high-quality tinned tomatoes, olive oil, herbs and seasonings. As an added bonus, you’ll have lots left over that you can freeze or utilise in other dishes. If you’re new to the sauce making game, you’ll definitely want to try this recipe out.
#4 – Take A Trip Around The World
One of the pleasures of making homemade pizza is that you get to dictate not just the flavour of your pizza, but even the type of cuisine you are trying to channel. Yes, we’re talking about fusion pizzas. This may be horrifying to some, but don’t knock it before you try it.
Why not opt for peanut sauce instead of tomato sauce for a delicious Thai-inspired pie? If you like things spicy, you could even take a trip to the east and incorporate Indian spices and toppings to your homemade pizza. Think out of the (pizza) box!
#5 – Grill It!
Most of us stick to the conventional way of making pizza at home – in the oven. Well, if you want to add that signature wood-fire oven taste to your homemade pizza, get it in the grill. And to make it exceptional, try cooking it on the barbeque or grill. This is a great idea for a party or event – invite some friends and family over, get them to make their own pizzas and enjoy an afternoon out in the backyard with a few drinks!
#6 – Know When To Top
Sick of burnt pizza toppings? The trick to a perfectly cooked pizza pie is to know when to stop. Produce such as baby spinach, rocket, fresh basil or anchovy fillets are best left for after the cooking process. When it comes to heartier toppings such as boiled potatoes, sauteed mushrooms or asparagus, you’ll want to cook these ingredients with your pizza for the entire duration of baking/grilling.
#7 – Treat Pizza Like It’s Pasta
This last tip may sound crazy, but you might do well to think of your pizza as you would pasta. For example, why not drizzle some high-quality olive oil and freshly grated cheese over it prior to chomping down!? Sure, there’s already likely going to be a copious amount of cheese on your homemade pizza, but rest assured that the last dusting is the best way to round up all the flavours and add a little je ne sais quoi to your pizza made with love!
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