Recipes › Bread & Pizza › Homemade Pizza Recipe

Homemade Pizza Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

This classic Italian pizza features a crispy-bottomed, chewy crust topped with tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Made entirely from scratch using simple pantry ingredients, this recipe yields authentic pizzeria-quality results at home. Perfect for weeknight dinners or weekend gatherings, homemade pizza brings the warmth of traditional Italian cooking to your kitchen.

Ingredients

• 500g (3½ cups) bread flour
• 325ml (1⅓ cups) warm water
• 7g (1½ teaspoons) instant dry yeast
• 10g (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 400g (14 oz) canned San Marzano tomatoes
• 4g (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 250g (9 oz) fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
• 30g (1 oz) fresh basil leaves
• Cornmeal for dusting pizza pan
• Fleur de sel for finishing

Instructions

1. Combine warm water and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add bread flour, salt, and olive oil.

2. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of flour if too sticky.

3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rise at room temperature for 90 minutes until doubled in volume.

4. While dough rises, prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan, sautéing minced garlic for 1 minute, then adding canned tomatoes and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, crushing tomatoes gently with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Preheat oven to 250°C (480°F) for 30 minutes. Dust a 32cm (13-inch) round pizza pan with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

6. Turn risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it into a 32cm (13-inch) round, working from the center outward. Transfer to prepared pan.

7. Spread 150ml (⅔ cup) of tomato sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1.5cm (½-inch) border for crust. Distribute torn mozzarella pieces evenly across sauce.

8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and beginning to brown at edges.

9. Remove from oven and immediately top with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Finish with fleur de sel.

10. Let cool for 2 minutes, slice into 8 pieces, and serve immediately.

Substitutions

• Use tipo 00 flour (doppio zero) for a softer, more tender crust texture.
• Replace fresh mozzarella with low-moisture mozzarella for a crispier, less watery result.
• Substitute fresh basil with fresh arugula added after baking for a peppery variation.
• Use a 50:50 blend of whole wheat flour and bread flour for a nuttier, denser crust.

Tips

• For best results, use San Marzano tomatoes—their lower acidity and higher solids create superior sauce flavor.
• Stretch dough gently to avoid deflating trapped air bubbles; these create the desirable chewy texture.
• Preheat the oven thoroughly and use a preheated pan or baking stone for maximum crust crispness.
• Make sauce 1-2 hours ahead and allow it to cool completely before topping pizza to prevent excessive moisture.

Homemade pizza originates from Naples, Italy, where the art of pizza-making has been perfected over centuries. The tradition emphasizes quality ingredients, proper fermentation of dough, and high-heat baking to achieve the characteristic crispy crust and tender interior that define authentic Italian pizza.

You might also like

Homemade Stromboli Recipe

65 min · Bread & Pizza

Homemade Veggie Pizza Recipe

50 min · Bread & Pizza

Hummus Pizza Recipe

38 min · Bread & Pizza

Italian Calzone Recipe

55 min · Bread & Pizza