the best homemade pizza

     Growing up in the New York Metropolitan area, we took it for granted that the best pizza was to be had right in our own neighborhood pizzeria. The crispy crust, spicy sauce and melting cheese with all the fresh toppings, cooked well done on hot brick ovens. You could always find a great pizza even outside your neighborhood, every town had one or two good pizzerias. However, this is not the case once you cross the Mississippi and head west. Occasionally you find a decent pizza, but most of the time, odds are, you will be disappointed. Some pizza chains do a credible job, but they can never match the original Ma & Pa operations back east. Whenever I go back to Jersey to visit family, I always bring a couple of pizzas back with me on the plane. The rest of the time, I make my own. If you find yourself in the same predicament and there isn't a good pizza shop to be found within a hundred miles, here is a home-made pizza recipe that can be just as tasty as the one your old neighborhood pizza man made.

The Dough
An easy and acceptable option is a store bought ready made crust (Boboli), add sauce, cheese, your favorite toppings and you'll have a better pizza than many pizza places I've eaten in. I prefer frozen bread dough that you can find in any supermarket. (Rhodes or any other good brand) They come in packs of 3 - 5 dough.

  • Take one frozen dough, place on plate and cover with plastic wrap, allow to thaw overnight in your fridge.

  • Remove from fridge and let sit outside for 30 minutes or so.

  • Grease a shallow baking pan with shortening (Crisco vegetable shortening works best). Coat pan well, spread with paper towel.

  • Set dough in pan, begin to press and stretch dough gradually, let sit 10 - 15 minutes, return and repeat stretching until dough touches the edges, spray oil or sprinkle a little olive oil on top.

  • Let dough sit in warm area and allow to rise for approximately 30 minutes.

  • Pre-heat oven to 375° - 400° (setting dough on top or close to pre-heating oven will make it rise quicker).

  • Use fork to prick dough evenly all over except for edges, this will keep dough from getting large bubbles while baking.

  • Cook dough in oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until dough begins to turn golden brown on top.

  • Remove from oven and let sit. (This is your pizza crust ready for topping.

The Sauce  (There are a couple options)

  • You can use the same sauce that you make for pasta. (Tomato, Marinara, Meatsauce, etc.)

  • A good quality canned crushed or small diced tomatoes, (add granulated garlic, oregano, salt and pepper). 15 oz. can per pizza or 28 oz. can for 2 pizzas.

  • Create your own pizza sauce.
     Note: if you aren't a fan of tomato, you can use Alfredo or Pesto sauce.



      Ingredients:

15 oz. can

crushed or fine diced tomatoes

1 medium

red onion (cut in half, sliced thin)

1 oz.

fresh chopped basil

1 Tbsp.

fresh chopped oregano leaves

1 Tbsp.

extra virgin olive oil

1 dash

salt & pepper


Directions:

  • Heat olive  oil in sauté pan on medium high heat.

  • Add onions and sauté until caramelized.

  • Add tomatoes and stir with onions.

  • Add fresh basil, oregano, salt & pepper.

  • Cook 5 -7 minutes on medium heat.

  • Set aside to cool off.



The Cheese

A Good quality mozzarella is traditional, but why settle for the usual? I use
a ripe piece of Monterey Jack cheese (freshly grated or shredded).

 

 

 
Other choices include:
Sharp cheddar
Fontina
Imported Parmesan
Asiago
jalapeno Jack

Note: the better quality the cheese, the more flavorful the pizza.

The Meats

  • Ground Italian Sausage (cooked and drained of fat) or precooked sliced link sausage.

  • Sliced meatballs (found in Italian delis or frozen in supermarkets). For really great meatballs, see my recipe: the perfect meatball

  • Sliced pepperoni or your favorite salami

  • Good quality sliced ham (chopped coarse), Prosciutto ham or Canadian bacon can also be used.

  • Anchovies (the much maligned little fish is the best thing to happen to pizza), Most pizza places add it whole - often sitting in an open can for days, greatly affecting the taste and smell of the fish. I open a fresh can and cut in 1/2 inch pieces and spread then evenly on top of the pizza sauce before adding other toppings.

Note: to get rid of the overly salty or fishy taste, soak the anchovies in a little milk for 10 - 15 minutes and rinse before using. Don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations of meat, including: chicken, pork, or even smoked fish and seafood toppings.

The Veggies  ( The Fresher the better)

  • onions: basic ingredient, you have to use in one form or other (sliced, diced, sautéed) I prefer red onions.

  • bell peppers, red or green (sliced, diced or roasted)

  • mushrooms, white or crimini (sliced thin, raw or sautéed) If you want to go more gourmet, choose Portobello, Porcini, Morels, Shitake, or Chanterelles. 

  • olives, sliced canned black olives are traditional, but any type of olives can be used.

  • fresh or roasted garlic

  • grilled eggplant

  • artichoke hearts

  • sun dried tomatoes (seen right)

  • crushed red pepper flakes (sprinkled on top)

Note: Using different or too many vegetables can make for a soggy pizza. You can sauté veggies ahead of time to get out excess moisture, this makes for a more flavorful pizza.
The Process:

  1. Spread pizza sauce on pizza crust with a large spoon or ladle, leave 1 inch of crust exposed.

  2. Sprinkle your choice of cheese or cheeses evenly.

  3. Add you choice of toppings. Note: It is important that you distribute all toppings evenly throughout the pizza. (Amateur pizza makers fail to do this, you'll notice clumps of toppings and other parts of the pizza will have little or no toppings.) Every bite of your pizza should have equal amounts of all items.

  4. Place pizza in oven, cook at 375° for 20 - 30 minutes or until pizza is well done on bottom.

  5. Remove from oven, cut in slices with large knife or pizza cutter. Note: to maximize proper baking and perfect crispiness, you should invest in a pizza stone to fit your oven. They come in various sizes and cost $15 - $30. It's as close as you'll come to a professionally cooked pizza.

This recipe involves time, a little labor and lots of love. The result is well worth the effort, at less than half the cost of of a delivered pizza.