Many of us have learned to appreciate the joy of coming home after a long day's work to cook for our families, sometimes opting to pick up pizza for convenience on hectic days. In my experience managing food services, catering from large corporate events to caring for seniors, I have always shied away from store-bought pizzas. Crafting it from the ground up was a serious endeavor for my team, a chance for them to exhibit their culinary prowess. Pizza-making stands out as one of the easiest meals to whip up, offering a wonderful mix of imaginative toppings and flavors. By preparing in advance, you can schedule your homemade pizza night every Friday with confidence and fulfillment. The secret lies in preparing the dough ahead of time, letting it mature in the fridge to develop its taste and consistency, resulting in a tastier end product. A useful trick is to reserve a small portion of the dough for the next pizza, building up the flavor profile with each batch. With basic ingredients like fresh yeast and premium bread flour, you can embark on this delightful journey towards crafting the perfect homemade pizza. Let's delve into the art of making your pizza from scratch and relish in the process!

Home Crafted Pizza

By Zosia Culinary Adventures | Date: July 26, 2024

Preparation Time: 1 hour + resting: 1 hour (could be made few days in advance for more developed flavor)

Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

Yield: 20 squares (used 51cm x 36cm sheet pan)

Ingredients:

•  500 g bread flour

• 10 g fresh yeast

• small chunk of sourdough ferment or pizza ferment from previous week (optional but it will enhance taste of pizza

• 350 g water

• 10 g sea salt

• homemade tomato sauce

• shredded cheese such as mozzarella or provolone

• toppings of your choice: pepperoni slices, fresh basil, slices tomatoes, pineapple bits, ham, slices tomatoes, slices mushrooms, red and green pepper, sliced olives, bacon bits, fresh mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Rub the yeast into the flour using your finger tips, add the ferment by ripping it into small pieces and mixing it into the flour. Add sea salt and water. Mix everything together with a Danish whisk. Use a scraper to turn out onto a table. Work the dough on the unfloured table first. Once the dough becomes more elastic, flour the table and form the dough into a ball.

2. Place the dough into a lightly floured bowl, ensuring it is fully covered with saran wrap to maintain moisture. Allow it to rest undisturbed for a duration of 1 hour before advancing to steps #6 through #9 in the recipe.

3. After an hour, you can transfer the prepared pizza dough into the refrigerator to allow it to develop more flavor, letting it rest for use the next day or even up to 3-5 days. Ensure the dough is adequately covered to prevent it from drying out or absorbing any unwanted odors from the fridge.

4. Remove the dough from the fridge the following morning and let it ferment further until you come back from work or for a minimum of 2 hours before you begin rolling it out on a floured surface. This prolonged fermentation time will significantly boost both the flavor and texture of your dough. Don't forget to set aside a small portion of the dough to save for the next pizza; store it in a small glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator.

5. Preheat the oven to 230ºC or 450ºF.

6. Lightly flour the baking tray and place it onto a well-floured sheet pan. With a variety of rolling pin sizes and with help of your hands, gently stretch the pizza dough into each of the four corners of the baking pan. Make sure to evenly spread the dough using your fingertips.

7. Spread the sauce evenly over the pizza dough. Next, add a generous layer of mozzarella cheese and all of your favorite toppings. To make it a fun family activity, invite your loved ones to join in and create this delicious masterpiece together.

8. Place pizza in preheated oven. Bake 20-25 minutes for golden brown crispy edges. Rotate pan for even browning.

9. Let the pizza cool slightly. Cut into slices and enjoy it with your family!