Making pizza - photo of a combination pizza. A round pizza crust with red sauce, pineapple chunks, olives, bacon and pepperoni with white cheese on top.

Making Homemade Pizza

 
 
Making homemade pizza has always been a big part of our childhood. Our mom grew up next to an Italian family and the tastes and smells of her Italian friend’s home was a wonderful part of her childhood and became part of her.
    She (her neighbor) taught her the secret of a good Italian sauce, how to make pasta, and making pizza and about the secrets of lasagna.  The memories are sweet for her, so in turn mom shared those memories and recipes with us.
 
 
Making pizza has always been a big part of our childhood. Our mom grew up next to an Italian family and the tastes and smells of her Italian friend’s home was a wonderful part of her childhood and became part of her.
 
Now the smell of garlic sauteing in the kitchen has become part of our lives. For this recipe, you are going to need a good Italian sauce.  If you don’t feel up to it, you can buy sauce, but trust us… it is just not the same.
So, come along with us.  Grab a seat in Auntie Betty’s kitchen and let her teach you how to make pizza.
 
 
Making homemade pizza - homemade pizza dough in a metal bowl with green paint.  The dough has risen up and over the edge of the bowl and pushing up on the plastic wrap making a bubble.
 
Now Auntie Betty would always go down to Lucci’s Deli the local Italian shop by bus and she would buy their already prepared dough for her pizza. But our mom always made the dough herself wanting to make sure that we had the best ingredients available and to avoid hydrogenated oils, soy, and high fructose corn syrup.
 
Making homemade pizza - Photo of a canning jar with homemade pizza sauce, shredded white and yellow cheese, slices of pepperoni and a bunch of fresh parsley.
 

When Making Pizza You Can Use A Bread Maker Or Do It By Hand

It can be made in a bread maker and put on the dough setting instead of baking it or you can make it in your mixer.  I know it is faster just buying it, but the homemade dough is wonderful.  There is something wonderful about the yeasty smell in your kitchen.  So, put on some really good music (how about some Sinatra?), and let’s make some dough!  Grab your apron and click this link!
 
 
While your dough is rising let’s start our sauce! Grab your stock pot and garlic and let’s begin.
 
 
 
Now that your dough has risen, and your sauce has simmered, let’s start looking for our toppings. We have cheese – freshly grated
Making homemade pizza - photo of halves of french bread spread with provolone cheese slices, pepperoni and olive slices on a pizza stone and the pizza stone is sitting on a basket to protect the surface of the table.
 

Homemade Pizza – French Bread Pizzas

Don’t have time to make the dough and let it rise?  Use some hoagie rolls or a loaf of French bread from the grocery store (or make our recipe ) for some crisp bread pizzas. Preheat your oven to 450* F.
  • Take the bread and slice it lengthwise
  • For extra flavor baste some melted butter with garlic on the top
  • Spoon pizza sauce on top of the bread and spread it across it
  • Add your favorite toppings on top. How about some sliced mushrooms and sliced olives for a vegetarian French Bread pizza?  It is so easy.   
  • Sprinkle with parmesan cheese
  • Add shredded cheese
  • Put your pizza on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven 
  • Bake for 13 min or until your cheese is melted and bubbly.
 
Making homemade pizza - photo of hand spreading olives and mushrooms on a homemade pizza.  Red pizza sauce is spread on the pizza dough.

 

Homemade Pizza – Vegetable pizzas

 

Vegetable pizzas are really delicious.

  • Choose your favorite crust and roll out the dough. 
  • Put the dough on a pizza pan, pizza stone, or even a cookie sheet.
  • Then spoon on the pizza sauce.  

You can choose your favorite toppings such as 

  • onions
  • peppers
  • mushrooms
  • olives
  • tomatoes
  • sun-dried tomatoes
  • jalapenos
  • red pepper flakes
  • marinated eggplant
  • artichoke hearts
  • small broccoli flowerets
  • sauteed zucchini dices

Add your favorite vegetarian cheese or use your favorite cheese shreds.

Put in a preheated 450* F oven until the bottom of the pizza is done when tapped with a knife and the cheese is melted

 

Homemade Pizza – Hawiian Pizza

 

Hawaiian pizza is so flavorful and we really love it! 

  • Pick your favorite crust below
  • Preheat your oven to 450* F when crust is done
  • Roll out the pizza dough to the shape of your pan
  • Place the dough onto the pan

Great toppings to use are

  • Bbq sauce
  • Ham slices
  • Diced bacon
  • provolone cheese or mozzerella cheese
  • parmesagne cheese
  • mushrooms 
  • olives

 

 
Making homemade pizza - Closeup photo of a homemade round pizza cooked on a pizza stone with homemade sauce, olives, chopped bacon, pepperoni and pieces of sweet pineapple.
 

Making Homemade Pizza – Combo Pizza

 
A combo pizza is the best of both worlds.
 
  • Choose your pizza dough recipe below
  • When dough has finished rising make your sauce recipe below
  • Roll out the dough and place it in your favorite pan
  • Prepare your toppings like olives
  • mushrooms
  • onions
  • bell peppers
  • pineapple
  • ham
  • bacon
  • jalapenos
  • cheese
  • sausage
 
This one is a one-of-a-kind pizza with pineapple chunks, uncured (nitrate and nitrite-free) pepperoni with diced olives.  with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses melted on top.
 
Making homemade pizza - photo of a cheese and pepperoni pizza in a rectangular stone cookie sheet with homemade sauce and cheddar cheese
 

Making Homemade Pizza – Classic Pepperoni Pizza

 
This homemade pizza is cooked on a stoneware cookie sheet. It is a simple pepperoni and cheddar cheese with a garnish of fresh flat leaf parsley from the Cottage Garden.

 

Are you ready to start making homemade pizza?

Let’s choose the crust

Other Italian Recipes

Learn how to make these desserts too

 

 

 

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