If you know me, you'll know I'm a pizza enthusiast. Give me pizza crust and cheese, and I'm happy. So it's only fitting that today we're talking all things pizza from the best pizza dough recipe to Neapolitan pizza and Detroit style pizza recipes, to even my favorite kitchen tools for a pizza night at home.
Table of Contents
Pizza Dough Recipe
Every pizza starts with a good base, so let's break down how to make pizza dough.
My favorite pizza dough recipe only calls for five ingredients: 00 flour, all-purpose flour, salt, active dry yeast, and olive oil. 00 flour is a super finely ground Italian flour that makes Neapolitan pizza so special. Because 00 flour is high in protein and low in gluten, it yields a pizza with a light, tender, and crispy crust. This is key because no one wants a tough pizza. If you can’t find 00 flour at your local grocery store, you can also order it from Amazon.
There's also Detroit style pizza dough which differs from Neapolitan dough since it doesn't require any kneading by hand and only uses AP flour. This makes it the perfect pizza dough to bake in a pan and gives you a thick pizza crust with those crispy edges that a Detroit style slice is known for.
Can you freeze pizza dough?
Absolutely! If you’re making pizza dough ahead, you can double the recipe, portion it out into 4 pieces, and once it’s done resting/rising/doing its thing, wrap it up tightly with plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for a later day. Just be sure to take it out, let it thaw, and come to room temp before attempting to roll it out and make a pizza.
What's the best store-bought pizza dough?
I will admit, I don’t always have time to make pizza dough from scratch. And since I’m an equal opportunity pizza consumer, I'm not against buying pizza dough when I'm in a pinch. I've found Whole Foods and Eataly to have the best pre-made pizza dough that you can grab in the refrigerated section, but it's also worth checking at your local Italian deli to see if they make and sell their own dough.
Neapolitan Pizza
We've talked all about Neapolitan pizza dough, now let's talk about some of my favorite ways to use it. You can keep it simple with my three cheese pizza or try something new like chicken parmesan pizza. Let's just agree on one thing LOTS of cheese is a given.
Squash Blossom Pizza with Burrata
Smoked Mozzarella and Sausage Pizza
Detroit Style Pizza
What is Detroit style pizza? Traditionally Detroit style pizza is a rectangular pizza known for the thick crust with crispy laced edges of bubbling cheese and tomato sauce. It's LOADED with cheese, so you'll get a bit of gooey and crispy cheese in every bite. And for toppings – well, anything is fair game. I've also included a few similar style pizza recipes that I think you'll love if you're a fan of the thick and crispy crust and gooey cheesy center of a Detroit style pizza.
Loaded Vegetable Detroit Style Pizza
Detroit Style Sausage Fennel Pizza
Deep Dish Butternut Squash Pizza with Bacon and Brussels
Fruit Pizza
If you're looking for a fruit pizza recipe, look no further. From figs to peaches, you really can't go wrong with your toppings. Oh, and you can't forget about Hawaiian Pizza!
Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Pizza
Crispy Prosciutto, Plum and Burrata Flatbread
White Pizza & Pesto Pizza Recipes
White pizza is basically pizza without the red sauce. Instead, white pizza sauce is made of a combination of olive oil, garlic, and copious amounts of cheese. Similarly, pesto pizza uses pesto as the base instead of red sauce.
White Pizza with Spinach and Lemon
Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese Pizza with Basil Vinaigrette
Burrata Snap Pea and Asparagus Pizza
Flatbread Pizza
Flatbread pizza is nothing fancy, just really great pizza dough that’s baked until it’s super crispy. From classics like caramelized onion flatbread to BLT flatbread you'll love these recipes.
Parmesan Pecorino Steak Flatbread
Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Flatbread
Charred Tomato Pesto Flatbread
Veggie Pizza
Let me tell you I live for a veggie pizza. Sky's the limit for veggie pizza toppings, mushrooms, corn, squash, zucchini, spinach, you name it.
Garlic Mushroom & Spinach Pizza
Wild Mushroom Roasted Squash Pizza
Sheet Pan Pizza Recipes
I've got quick and easy weeknight meals covered with these sheet pan pizza recipes.
Green Pizza (with Asparagus, Peas, Mint and Burrata)
Caramelized Wild Mushroom Pizza
Mexican Pizza
Give me a crispy tortilla slathered with refried beans, cheese, and carnitas, and I’ll be one happy gal!
Grilled Pizza Recipes
One of my favorite ways to make pizza is cooking it on the grill. If you haven't grilled pizza before, it’s really simple. Roll out your dough, and then give it a little brush with some olive oil. Next, gently transfer the dough straight onto the piping hot grill and let it cook for just a few moments on each side until there are grill marks and the dough starts to bubble. Then take it off the grill carefully, top it with whatever you want, and throw it back on for a hot second to melt the cheese. It's that easy!
Grilled Burrata Pizza with Crispy Prosciutto
Breakfast Pizza Recipes
Pizza for breakfast, sign me up! Not only is a breakfast pizza a great weekend brunch that can feed a crowd, but why not have your bacon and eggs on a pizza in the morning.
Pizza Rolls
Last but not least are the best pizza rolls, stromboli, and pizza hand pies. Any excuse to make a pizza, and I’m in!
Kitchen Tools
These are my favorite kitchen tools for making pizza from home.
Pizza Cutter – Big ass / heavy duty / best ever | Available at Amazon
Pizza Stone – A must for making Pizzas at home in your oven | Available at Crate&Barrel
Ooni Pizza Oven - we just got this and it's incredible - favorite pizza oven to date!
Pizza Peel – For getting pizza in/out of the oven or bbq | Available at Amazon
Kitchen Scale – For bread baking or for cookie making | Available at Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, & Target
Glass Prep Bowls | Available at Amazon & Crate & Barrel
Pit Mitt – Like an oven mitt but for the BBQ | Available at Amazon
BBQ Tools – Including spatula, baster etc. | Available at Amazon, Crate & Barrel
BBQ Pizza Stone – Has handles so you can easily move it | Available at Amazon
Pizza Oven of my dreams – gets up to 750 degrees F and sits right on your counter! | Available at Amazon, Crate and Barrel, & Bloomingdales
Stand Mixer – I’ve had multiple over the years and currently have a matte black one that was a special edition and I’m not so sure they make it anymore! But here’s the link to the same model – pick your favorite color! | Available at Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond, & Best Buy
Tuscan Seasoning - It’s a seasoning that literally TASTES LIKE PIZZA. I can’t even!!! I’m fully obsessed.
For even more tips and tricks on how to make pizza at home check out my podcast episodes on pizza:
Burrata Pizza Pie
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Homemade Pizza Dough
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 8 ounces burrata cheese
- 3 ounces prosciutto
- handful of fresh basil fried or torn into pieces
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees.
- Thirty minutes before cooking the pizza, put your pizza stone in the oven.
- Stretch out your pizza dough using your hands in a circular motion, then lay it on a flat surface and flatten it out using a rolling pin. If you have a pizza peel, sprinkle some flour on it and place the stretched out dough on the peel.
- Once your dough is flat and ready to be heated, use a spoon to spread the pizza sauce all around the dough leaving a little bit for the crust.
- Pop your pizza peel in the oven and slide it over the stone for ten minutes.
- After ten minutes, pull out the pizza and sprinkle the creamy burrata on top of the pie.
- Put your pizza back in the oven for another 3-4 minutes.
- When the cheese is just starting to melt, take it out and top with prosciutto and the fried basil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cut into 6-8 slices and serve immediately.
