Homemade Pizza

Learn how to make a delicious, classic pizza at home with a homemade pizza dough! Tips and tricks to make the perfect pizza from scratch, topping suggestions and step by step instructions. Pizza night has never been this good!

Homemade pizza is so crazy easy to make and it’s so much fun too! Pizza night is the best night of the week…according to my kids. But sometimes I don’t want to order out and pay for a delivery fee that is the same price as a whole pizza. I also love to make fun memories in the kitchen with the whole family.

Making pizza is the solution! Turn on some Italian cafe music, put on your aprons, and you’ve got your own little Italy. This recipe makes the best homemade pizza and it’s so easy to follow. Everyone can make their own too!

No more fighting over toppings and who gets what slices. You can make as many pizzas as you want with any and all of your most favorite toppings. Don’t forget the cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer and pizza cookie bars for dessert!

Why You’ll Love Homemade Pizza

• It’s is an affordable dinner option! We typically have leftover ingredients that we can store for later and use in another recipe or make more pizza.
• It only takes about 25 minutes to make a homemade pizza. But you can of course make multiple all at once and it will only add a few minutes onto your prep time!
• Customize your pizza however you want. Just like a pizza shop, you can add all of your favorite toppings and add-ons.

Ingredients for this Homemade Pizza Recipe

• Pizza dough – Make your own homemade pizza dough with this easy recipe. Or, buy pizza dough at your local grocery store. I recommend getting the kind in a can in the refrigerated section!
• Olive oil – Use a little olive oil to oil the pizza crust. You could aslo use melted butter or another oil in its place.
• Pizza sauce – You can easily make homemade pizza sauce with some tomatoes and fresh herbs. But feel free to grab a can of pizza sauce at the grocery store too.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese – Grab a giant bag of mozzarella cheese in the dairy section of your grocery store. No one can ever have too much cheese!
• Pepperoni – Pepperonis are the easiest topping. However, you can also leave this as pizza plain cheese or use different toppings too.

How to Make Homemade Pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahreheit and place the pizza pan or pizza stone in it while it preheats.
2. Turn out your fresh pizza dough onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Begin stretching a flattening the dough with your fingers or a rolling pan. Add more flour if needed and make the crust size about 12 inches.
3. Remove the pizza pan from the oven and sprinkle some flour on it. Then transfer the pizza dough onto the pan.
4. Using a fork, press holes into the dough to prevent the crust from bubbling while it bakes. Then, drizzle olive oil over the dough and evenly spread it with a pastry brush.
5. Spread pizza sauce in a circle over the center of the dough. Don’t overload the dough with sauce or it will become soggy while baking.
6. Then, add cheese, pepperoni, and any other desired toppings to your pizza before placing it into the oven.
7. Allow the pizza to bake for 8-12 minutes. Once the crust is crisp on the bottom and the cheese is fully melted, the pizza is done baking!
8. Remove the pizza from the oven, allow it to slightly cool, slice it up, and serve.

What to Serve with Homemade Pizza

If you’re wanting a few options for side dishes to serve with this easy homemade pizza, you could make caesar pasta salad or pesto pasta salad. They’re refreshing dishes to eat alongside pizza.

You could make some breadsticks and air fried broccoli are great side dishes too. Wrap up your meal with a sweet treat like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or a homemade pizookie.

How to Store Leftover Homemade Pizza

FRIDGE: Place leftover slices into an airtight container or Ziploc bag with parchment paper or paper towels in between layers. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in the microwave, oven or air fryer (<— my pick!) until heated through.

FREEZER: Wrap each slice of pizza in plenty of plastic wrap, or place them in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw before reheating and place in the microwave or oven until hot.

How to Freeze Homemade Pizza for Later!

You can freeze homemade pizza before cooking it. Freezing pizza is a convenient way to have it on hand for future meals or for preserving leftovers. Here’s how you can freeze homemade pizza:

1. Prepare the pizza: Make your homemade pizza dough and add your desired toppings.
2. Par-bake the crust: Preheat your oven and bake the pizza crust for a shorter time than usual. This step is important to ensure the crust sets and prevents sogginess when you reheat it later.
3. Cool the pizza: Allow the par-baked pizza to cool completely before freezing. This helps prevent condensation and ice crystals from forming.
4. Wrap the pizza: Wrap the cooled pizza tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make sure it is well sealed to prevent freezer burn.
5. Additional protection: For added protection against freezer burn and to keep the pizza’s shape intact, you can place the wrapped pizza inside a freezer-safe plastic bag or airtight container.
6. Label and date: Write the date and contents on the packaging to keep track of when it was frozen.
7. Freeze the pizza: Place the wrapped pizza in the freezer, preferably in a flat position to maintain its shape. Ensure it is not stacked or crushed by other items. After it’s completely frozen you stack them!

When you’re ready to cook the frozen pizza:

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to the temperature specified in your original pizza recipe.
2. Unwrap the pizza: Remove the plastic wrap or aluminum foil from the frozen pizza.
3. Cook the pizza: Place the frozen pizza directly on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake it in the preheated oven for the recommended time or until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are cooked to your liking.

Remember to adjust the cooking time as frozen pizza may take slightly longer to cook than fresh pizza.

By following these steps, you can successfully freeze homemade pizza and enjoy it at a later time without compromising its taste or quality.

What toppings can I put on homemade pizza?

You can really use any of the toppings that are popular! Here’s some of our favorites:

• Bacon
• Ham
• Canadian bacon
• Mushrooms
• Diced onion
• Spinach
• Sausage
• Bell peppers
• Grilled chicken
• …and so much more!

Don’t forget, you can add multiple different types of cheese too!

What can I use if i don’t have a pizza pan or pizza stone?

Make a rectangular pizza on a cookie sheet! Just press the crust out to the same thickness that a 12 inch circular pizza would be and continue as usual.

If you’re up for experimenting, try using a brownie pan to make “deep dish” pizza!

Do I need to pre-cook my pizza toppings?

Yes! This is the best tip I could ever give in your quest to make the best homemade pizza. Cook your meat toppings (aside from pepperonis) thoroughly before putting them on the pizza. Veggies toppings don’t have to be pre-cooked, but things like peppers and tomatoes would be delicious if they were fire roasted before being placed on the pizza.

Once you taste homemade pizza, you won’t want to eat it any other way! And it’s so easy to make, you may just create a new pizza night tradition.

More Pizza Recipes You’ll Love

• If you have leftover pizza dough, you can use it for breakfast the next morning and make Breakfast Pizza.
• Pizza rolls are already delicious, but making them in the air fryer is a game changer. Check out Air Fryer Pizza Rolls.
• Pizza Pinwheels are a super easy recipe that the whole family will love. Make them for lunch, dinner, or an easy appetizer.
• This Football Pepperoni Pizza Dip is a always a hit at game-day parties!