Tips For Tackling Pizza Night At Home
When you're looking for a quick and easy solution to dinner, you may be tempted to reach for the pizza takeout menus. Many people believe that making pizza at home is far too complex and difficult to do, so they stick with delivery services. You might be surprised at how easy it can actually be to turn out a great pizza dinner at home. Here's a look at some of the things you need to know.
Start With the Right Crust
Any good pizza needs to have the perfect foundation. You can make crust yourself with a mix of white and wheat flours or even just white flour. You might even be able to get prepared pizza dough from your favorite pizza shop. Many will sell it to customers, even if it isn't listed on the menu.
Prepare a pan with a little bit of cornmeal to work with. That way, the dough doesn't stick and you can easily transfer it to your pizza stone. Stretch the crust flat by gently working it with your fingers. Don't pull on it. Gently push your fingertips out to form a circle. If you can see any air pockets, pop them with a fork. You don't want them bubbling up when you're baking the pizza.
Top It Properly
The toppings all start with the right sauce. You can use a basic marinara or even just slice some fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes will soften in the oven, making a fresh sauce-like texture. Just put the tomatoes down so that they cover the whole crust, then drizzle them with just a little bit of olive oil.
Sprinkle them with some Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Top them with either grated or thinly sliced mozzarella and some thin-sliced toppings. Don't go too heavy on the toppings. If you weigh the dough down, it's going to make a soggy, hard-to-handle mess.
Bake It Best
When you start preparing the crust, preheat the oven with your pizza stone on the middle rack. This is important, because it preheats the stone, too. Preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for a crispy crust, or 400 for a softer one.
Watch the pizza closely as it bakes, checking every couple of minutes for any signs of air pockets in the crust. Turn the pizza a quarter-turn every few minutes to help it bake evenly, and remove it from the oven when the crust edges are golden and the toppings are melted and soft.
A pizza night is a great way to bring the whole family together. If you aren't confident in your skills to recreate pizza at home, you can order pizza online and have it delivered in minutes. Click here for more info about ordering pizza tonight.