How to Make Homemade Pizza (and Why You Shouldn't)

Do you ever crave the delicious combination of cheese, sauce and dough but don’t want to settle for the frozen stuff again? We agree that there’s something unique about the delectable taste of fresh homemade pizza that the frozen aisle can’t capture.

Follow this guide and learn how to prepare homemade pizza, so you can quench your pizza cravings.

Making the Pizza Dough:

The dough is the foundation of a well-made pizza. To make homemade pizza crust, you will need the following ingredients:

2-4 cups of all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 packet of instant yeast
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 1/3 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and dried basil leaves
1 cup warm water at 105 – 110° Fahrenheit
2-4 cups of all-purpose flour or bread flour

You also need the following equipment to put together these ingredients:

2 large mixing bowls
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Plastic wrap
Kitchen towel

How to Form the Dough Crust

Follow this process to make perfect dough crust for your pizza:

Put the cup of warm water into a large mixing bowl.
Combine the instant yeast, salt, sugar, garlic powder, dried basil, 2 cups of flour and olive oil into the bowl and stir to mix.
Allow the mixed ingredients to rest for about 5 minutes or until it begins to get foamy.
Add at least 1 additional cup of flour and stir until the dough starts to form a ball. The dough ball should be somewhat sticky but able to be worked with by your hands. If it’s too dry, you may add additional tablespoons of water.
In the second bowl, drizzle and brush the rest of the olive oil until the bowl’s interior is covered.
Lightly dust your hands with flour and carefully knead the dough until it forms a smooth and firm ball. Transfer the ball of dough to the bowl with the olive oil. If needed, you may add up to 1/2 cup of extra flour.
Cover this bowl with plastic wrap and heat it, so it doubles in size. This process can take about 30 minutes to an hour. In the meantime, you should work on preparing a lightly floured surface.
When the dough has risen, deflate it gently with your hands and move it to the floured surface you prepared. Knead the dough on this surface until it’s smooth.
Using the rolling pin, spread the dough into a 12-inch circle on the floured surface.
Cover this dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

What You Need to Make Homemade Sauce

Pizza sauce takes minimal time and effort to prepare and tastes amazing when done correctly. To make high-quality homemade pizza sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

10 Roma tomatoes
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of white sugar
A minced clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of dried basil

To properly put together these ingredients for your sauce, you will need the following:

Large mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Blender or food processor

How to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce

Follow these simple steps to craft your yummy homemade sauce:

Place the tomatoes, olive oil and water into a food processor or blender, and mix them together until smooth. Place this mixture into a large pot.
Add the minced garlic, basil, oregano, salt, sugar, freshly cracked pepper and onion powder. Set it to medium-low heat, and let it simmer until it reaches a thick consistency. This will take 1 to 2 hours, with occasional stirring required.
Pour the sauce into a food processor or blender and blend until your sauce reaches the desired consistency.

What’s the Best Cheese for Homemade Pizza?

Your choice of cheese can make a significant impact on your pizza’s overall flavor. The most popular option tends to be mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella cheese has a low moisture and fat content, allowing it to turn golden brown when exposed to heat.

This cheese’s low moisture and fat content also make it capable of covering the surface of the pizza evenly while maintaining a stretchy consistency. If you don’t have any mozzarella cheese on hand, there are many excellent alternatives. Cheddar, parmesan and provolone cheese go well on pizza. You can also mix cheeses for a unique flavor combination.

How to Layer Your Pizza:

Now that your homemade pizza dough, sauce and cheese are ready, it’s time to put them together.

First, lay your dough out on a 12-inch pizza pan, and lather your fresh tomato sauce equally across it.
After the sauce is applied, cover the surface area with a layer of shredded cheese.
Add your preferred toppings to the pizza.

Following this order will allow the cheese to melt into the sauce and keep the toppings visible so people can easily identify the type of pizza.

How Long Should You Cook/Bake Pizza?

You’re almost there. All you have to do now is cook the pizza. Preheat the oven to 425°Fahrenheit. When the oven is ready, place the pizza inside on the lower rack for 13-20 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Be careful when removing from the oven as it will be very hot.

Why You Should Just Choose a Restaurant

If you’ve made it down this far, you hopefully have a delicious homemade pizza ready to eat. If not and you’re still hungry, you may want to save yourself some time and effort by ordering one from a local restaurant.

It’s clear you’ve got pizza on the mind, and there’s nothing quite like a hot, professional-grade pizza. Ordering fresh, quality pizza from a restaurant can give you a pleasant eating experience free from stress and clean-up.

Here are a few additional reasons you should enjoy pizza from a restaurant instead of making it yourself:

Select from an array of toppings.
Support your local community.
Relax and take a break from cooking.
Enjoy guaranteed quality with every slice.

Choose Green Lantern Pizza for Fresh, Delicious Pizza

If you’re feeling hungry for some delicious cheesy pizza, call the experts at Green Lantern Pizza. We’ve been filling the stomachs of Michigan residents for over 60 years. With our decades of experience, we know a thing or two about making good pizza.

If you find yourself near one of our locations in the larger Metro Detroit area, order one of our pizzas online and take a glance at our menu to see if you want to add anything to your meal.

Have any questions about our ingredients or processes? Go ahead and contact us today!