When I first mentioned making our own pizza a few years ago, Joe looked at me like I was crazy. I told him that I knew how to do it and I promised him it would be delicious and worth it. I may have over-exaggerated the first time, because while it came out pretty okay, it was not the best pizza ever.
Since then, though, my pizza makings skills have greatly improved. I don't have a pizza dough recipe that I like, so alas, all I have to share today are pictures and some tips. Our local grocery store sells pre-made dough balls in the refrigerated section, so that's what I use. I like them because I just have to let them thaw/come to room temperature and rise for about an hour, and then I can get started cooking.
The dough is really, really plain tasting so you definitely have to add some spices. I usually add garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning and a little bit of red pepper flakes, then rub them in a bit so the flavors are evenly distributed. I actually kind of like that the dough is so bland, that way I can season it for whatever I'm making. The premade dough is also much faster, and dinner is usually ready and on the table within about an hour so.
I'm not really sure how big the dough balls are, but for the pizza pans that we have, one ball is not quite enough dough. Two balls is a little bit too much, but I like a really thick and puffy crust on my pizza so it works out well.
I always make sure to prebake the crust for about 7 minutes before I add any sauce or cheeses or anything, just to make sure it doesn't get soggy. This also lets the spices I've added get baked in, so the flavor is more uniform than with random overpowering pockets. We usually just do plain (cheese) or pepperoni, but we've tried a potato pizza before, with so-so results, and bbq chicken always comes out delicious.
What's YOUR favorite kind of pizza?
