Posted by Loulou on Aug 4, 2025 | 18 comments

Well, not really a trick but an easy-peasy way to make pizza at home

PIZZA

2 cups unbleached, white flour

1 tablespoon dry yeast yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt or a bit more if you like salt

1/4 cup warm water or a bit more or les

Put the flour, yeast, olive oil and salt in the top of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds, then add the warm water slowly, adding only enough until the dough pulls away from the sides of the machine. The dough should NEVER be sticky to the touch but should spring back when pushed and be a nice soft ball in your top of your food processor.

Form the dough into a ball and put into an oiled bowl to rise until double. If you use instant yeast, this will only take about 30 minutes.  If you use regular yeast, the dough will rise in about an hour.  If, for some reason, you cannot use the dough right then, just push it down and let it rise again or until you are ready to cook or keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge. Take it out to come to room temp an hour before forming the pizza

When the dough has doubled, turn it out on an oiled bake sheet and onto and roll the dough flat and thin or stretch it to fit the pan. Gently stretch the dough out toward the edges of the pan until it is very thin has no holes in it. While the oven heats, let the dough rise a little on the pan.

Heat the oven to the hottest temperature you have.

When the oven is at its hottest temperature, spread the sauce you have chosen in a thin layer over the dough, add the anchovies or whatever you are using, scattered on the surface but do not load up a pizza.

Keep it thin with only one or two layers of toppings.

Brush the edges of the pizza with olive oil.

Bake until the edges are light brown, then remove from the oven and scatter the sliced mozzarella over the surface. Return the pizza to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pizza crisp and brown.

Remove and cut with kitchen scissors into wedges.

*****

Fresh mozzarella (if you can get it), sliced thin. Or whatever mozzarella you have in your market.

Simple tomato sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in pan.  Add 1 can of Italian tomatoesj and a pinch of sugar. Let cook for 15 minutes and stir in a teaspoon of butter. Let cool. It’s now ready for pasta or pizza as a base sauce. You may also use 4-5 fresh tomatoes but let the sauce thicken a bit longer.

Pizza Margarita:  Spread the dough with a thin tomato sauce, slice fresh mozzarella on top, and bake. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves after it comes out of the oven.

Pizza alla Napoletana: Spread with tomato sauce. Put anchovy filets in a nice pattern on top of the pizza and bake until edges are brown. Add the sliced mozzarella and bake for 2-3 minutes more.

Pizza ai Funghi: Saute fresh mushrooms, domestic, shitake, chanterelles, oyster or a mixture, in olive oil. Spread on pizza Margarita and bake.

Pizza Suzanne:  Roast thin slices of tomato in the oven with olive oil, garlic and parsley sprinkled over all for about an hour. Spread the pizza with thin layer of tomato sauce, add roasted tomatoes, and crumble feta cheese over all with a little fresh basil added if you like.

I actually love fresh mozzarella but feta is really good and more available sometimes.

Pizza Bianca alla romana: Spread pizza dough with olive oil and a thin dusting of Parmesan or just a bit of salt and pepper. Bake.

Pizza with Potatoes and Rosemary: Put lots of olive oil on the pizza, spread thin slices of cooked thin-sliced potatoes on top and sprinkle with Parmesan, chopped garlic, and rosemary, chopped fine.

Artichoke hearts, tuna fish, sausages, roasted peppers, ANYTHING can go on a pizza. Just remember that whatever you put on must be able to cook for15 minutes at hot heat and not burn. Cook the sausage first, cut into rounds, but do not overcook. Saute until brown, then let the pizza baking do the rest. Mama happens to like simple pizza, not a lot of stuff on it, just sauce, mozzarella and basil, but the potato one is delish, too.