Make Restaurant Quality Pizza at Home

All my life I have wondered what it takes to make pizzeria style pizza at home. I've always said "if they can do it there, why can't I get the same results at home?" Growing up, there was very little internet presence, so we were subject to cook book recipes, and the instructions on the refrigerated dough cans.

After doing some research online, I learned there is one factor above all others in determining the success of a delicious pizza: the heat of your oven. Without a hot oven, forget it. You will have soggy pizza that tastes doughy. The uncooked, doughy taste of the crust will dominate the other ingredients. Many out there will tell you that you need a pizza stone to create restaurant style pizza. That's simply not true. And, for many people, a stone is not something they want to mess with. They don't have adequate space to store it, they live in a rented space and don't want to risk damaging the oven (or the tile floor in their kitchen!) or they are not wanting to have something like that sitting in their oven all the time.

So, for all of you pizza connoisseurs, I hope this recipe does not offend you. This is for those of us who want to make a good, solid pizza with the least amount of effort. That's what this article will tell you to do. Yes, stones and crust recipes will help, but this article is about getting good results with the least amount of effort.

First, the bakery section of your supermarket is likely to have its own freshly made pizza dough. Go buy a bag of that. We're not talking about the canned stuff. This is a ball of dough in a bag. If you can't find that, check the freezer for frozen bread or pizza dough. If your dough is frozen, put it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. If it is refrigerated, take it out of the fridge and let it sit in the bag at room temperature for an hour. It must come up to temperature to be workable and to be warm. Your crust will not cook fast enough if you do not let it sit.

After your dough rests for an hour, turn on your oven as high as it will go. Do not put it on broil. If it goes to 550 put it at 550, if it only goes to 500 put it there. Now, sprinkle some flour on your counter surface, spread out the dough with a roller or your hands. Whatever works for you.

As was mentioned above, you do not need a pizza stone. Yes, it helps with evening out the cooking, but it is not necessary. A cheaper, more flexible and lighter option is a pizza screen. this is a pan with holes in it designed to aid in the firming or crisping of the crust. Do not, however, make the crust on the screen, it will sink into the holes and then you will have a mess on your hands. After you roll out your dough, transfer it to the screen.

For tomato sauce, use whatever suits your fancy. An uncooked sauce is the way to go in my book. Just take some canned crushed or diced tomatoes, add some garlic powder, some dried oregano and a little fresh basil. Let it sit at room temperature while you make your crust and preheat your oven.
Once the dough has been transferred to your pizza screen apply the sauce to the pizza. It doesn't need a lot of sauce. Apply it almost to the edge of the crust, not all the way. Now, add some mozzarella cheese, however much you want. You can also add any of your other favorite cheeses or toppings. We're not telling you what to put on your pizza, we're just providing technique here.

After your oven has preheated for at least 15 minutes, put the pizza in the oven. Let it cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the pizza 180 degrees to insure even cooking. (If you have a stone, this step is not necessary.) Let the pizza cook for 5 more minutes. At this point, the cheese should be melted and bubbling and even browning on top. The crust should be a nice dark golden brown, approaching almost a char in some spots. This is what you want.

Remove your pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Do not place it on a flat surface. The crust needs exposure to air to remain crisp. Let your pizza cool for ten minutes. Cut it into slices and enjoy.

One word of caution: Because of the high cooking temperature, if you have an oven that runs hot, the pizza may burn. You definitely do not want to continuously be opening and closing your oven door, just make sure you do not let it cook for too long. 12 minutes should be the most that it takes.