There is really nothing better than a homemade pizza! It’s fresh, delicious, and amazingly gooey with cheese and toppings. You really can’t go wrong.
That being said, there are some things that make the process a little bit easier and the pizza taste just a little bit better. Let’s take a look at a few must-haves to create the perfect slice!
How to make the perfect homemade pizza
Cup N’ Crisp pepperoni
Pepperoni is pepperoni, right? Wrong! Not all pepperoni is worthy of your delicious homemade pizza. You need something that’s thick enough that you’ll actually taste it and that will crisp up at least a little bit while it’s cooking. Who doesn’t list the little burnt ends on pepperoni?!
I have bought Hormel’s Cup N’ Crisp for a while now and recently got a sample and they’re delicious. They also curl up, get crispy, and make little meat teacups of grease. YUM!
DeLallo pizza dough kit
The DeLallo pizza dough kit is the only one I use. Yes, you could make your own pizza dough from scratch but when the kit comes with everything you need, why bother??
Good pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and cornmeal can make homemade pizza so much better
You just throw the flour and yeast together, pour in hot water, and mix and knead.
Then wait 45 minutes for it to poof up and you’re ready to make some pizza! It gives you the same feeling as making pizza dough from scratch but without any measuring.
Pizza stone
No, this is not just for fancy chef/foodie people. A pizza stone does actually make your pizza taste better not to mention way crispier than any pizza pan you’re going to find. Just be sure you put it in the oven while it’s preheating and slide the pizza right onto the stone to cook.
Also, please don’t dunk it in water when cleaning it. A damp cloth with some elbow grease will do the trick. It’s supposed to look a little rough after you use it a couple of times. Don’t worry!
Fresh mozzarella
If you can find fresh mozzarella at your local grocery store or specialty food store near you, do it! It’s so worth it. You think you know what mozzarella tastes like from eating string cheese and shredded mozzarella in a bag, but you have no idea. It’s creamy and rich and incredible melty deliciousness.
That being said, I know this isn’t available everywhere and it can be expensive so don’t worry if all you can find is the shredded stuff. It’s cheese! You can’t really go wrong.
Pizza peel
If you’re using a pizza stone to cook your pizza, you absolutely need a pizza peel. You’ve probably seen them if you’ve ever watched a food show. They’re that big metal or wooden sheet on a stick. You’ll slide your pizza in and out of the oven with this.
If it’s your first time using a pizza peel, you will need some practice. The first time I used one, I zoomed my pizza to the back of the oven (not good). You can practice with something less precious than your beloved pizza before you actually go to do it for real.
Cornmeal
This is A MUST! And it’s not just to make the bottom of the crust crispy. If you don’t want your pizza dough to stick to the peel and you want your homemade pizza to come off the pizza stone once it’s done, you NEED to use cornmeal.
Spread a generous amount onto the pizza peel before you put the dough on and spread some more onto the pizza stone before you put your pizza on it. It will make the process 1000x easier. Trust me on this one. I have been in that dark place where the pizza is not budging from the peel. I don’t want you to go there too.
Pizza wheel
This is probably obvious but just in case, please buy yourself a pizza wheel. It makes it so much easier to cut your pizza and you can get a decent one pretty inexpensively. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. They sell them at Target for anywhere between $10-$20. The prices on Amazon are about the same. No need to spend more than that.
Do you love making homemade pizza? What tools or ingredients do you use that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments below!