The Best Homemade Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, and there’s a different type of pizza out there for everyone. But let’s be honest, homemade pizza is just better. And I’m not talking buy a pre-made crust and canned sauce type of homemade, I’m talking crush your own tomatoes, knead your own dough type of homemade.

I love this recipe because it makes the perfect amount for my husband and I, plus we get our own individual pizzas to customize. For the sauce, I use canned tomatoes for the ease and convenience, but if you have fresh tomatoes on hand, definitely use those! I do use fresh herbs from my mini indoor garden and they make a world of a difference. If you don’t have fresh on hand, feel free to use a teaspoon or two of dried herbs.

The pizza dough itself is super basic and only requires 4 ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and olive oil. (5 if you count water.) This is a great base for any type of pizza. I love this red sauce because it is so fresh and light, but the possibilities are endless. You can make a homemade white/Alfredo sauce or spoon some barbecue sauce on for a yummy barbecue chicken pizza. Trust me, this will be your new favorite pizza.

The Best Homemade Pizza

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* prep time: 30 minutes
* passive time: 1 hour
* cook time: 20 minutes
* total time: 1 hour 50 minutes
* servings: 2

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Ingredients:

For the dough (x2)
– 1 cup flour
– 3/4 tsp yeast
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
– 7 tbsp warm water
For the sauce
– 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 6 basil leaves
– 1 sprig of oregano, leaves removed
– 1-2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed

– 2-4 cups mozzarella cheese
– Parmesan
– Toppings of choice (pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, etc.)

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Instructions:

1. Dough measurements make one 8" pizza crust. I like to make mine one at a time. Add the dry ingredients to a food processor with a dough blade attached. Pulse a few times until combined.
   
   
2. Add the oil, then water while pulsing. Mix on the dough setting until dough comes together and pulls away from the walls of the food processor. Slowly add more flour if the dough is too wet or add more water if the dough is too dry or not coming together.
   
   
3. Mold dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour or until doubled.
   
   
4. Add all sauce ingredients to a food processor with a regular blade attached. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add reserved juice to make 1 cup. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
   
   
5. Preheat oven to 500°F with a pizza stone on the top rack.
   
   
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. I use a flat baking sheet for easy transfer. You can also use a pizza peel.
   
   
7. Using your fingers, gently press dough out into an 8" circle. Spoon sauce on crust, leaving half an inch around the edges. Add your cheese and toppings.
   
   
8. Carefully remove pizza stone from the oven and transfer the pizza, reshaping as necessary. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and gooey.
   
   
9. Let finished pizzas rest on a wire rack before slicing.
   
   

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Notes:
– I prefer making my dough in single batches, mainly because that's all my food processor can hold. I also find it easier to shape the crusts since there is no cutting involved.
– The fresh herbs are not necessary, but I think they give the sauce so much depth and flavor.
– I find that I have plenty of sauce without using the reserved juice. If you are only making one pizza, halve the sauce ingredients.
– When shaping your crust, you want it to be thin so it bakes evenly through, but not so thin that it rips. I also keep it a little thicker around the edges to form that bubbled crust.