It’s no secret that we love pizza around here.
Especially homemade pizza.
When we moved into our house that we just moved out of, there were no good pizza places nearby. At first I was annoyed, but it caused me to dabble in homemade pizza, which has become one of my favorite things to make. So, it was actually a blessing disguise.
Over the years, we have experimented with all sorts of pizza concoctions, which I will share with you once I am up and running in my new kitchen.
Lots of people seem intimidated by the concept of homemade pizza, but honestly, once you learn all the tricks, it’s an easy dinner to make! Plus, it’s a total blast to have your friends over for a homemade pizza night!
Here are MY must-have fancy homemade pizza essentials!
ONE // A pizza cookbook is not a must but if you are newer to homemade pizza, it can be very helpful for tips, tricks and recipe ideas!
TWO // This pizza glove has become a favorite in the fancy kitchen. We use it for pizza stones and pretty much anything else we are baking.
THREE // I have searched far and wide for a good gluten free pizza crust option. This is by far the best one out there (in my opinion). I have served it and no one even realized it was gluten free!
FOUR // A brush is key for cleaning your pizza stone(s). You will get baked on cheese and all sorts of stuff on them and this brush will help remove them. On the subject of cleaning, NEVER clean your pizza stone with soap. Just hot water and a brush. I usually bake mine at 500 degrees for 30 minutes to clean them after I wash them with water.
FIVE // I have tried LOTS of homemade and store-bought pizza sauces. This is by far our family’s favorite! I do prefer to make a big batch of homemade sauce and keep it in the freezer because it’s easier to just have on hand for a random pizza night. But, this is our fave.
SIX // A pizza stone is a must. It is life changing, especially if you have been making homemade pizza on a sheet pan. I promise you, you will love a pizza stone. I always bake my pizza stones at 500 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour, prior to baking/grilling my pizzas. The hot stone is KEY for a crispy perfect pizza bottom.
SEVEN // These mini stones are my favorite. We use these for personal pizzas. They are the easiest for the grill as well! Plus, who doesn’t love making their own pizza?! This is a super fun evening to do with friends and family! Everyone gets to make their own pizza!
EIGHT // A pizza peel is the other life changing pizza tool. You need one. They are so key and they make pizza making SO much easier. You do not need to splurge on a fancy wooden one. The one I linked is the best one and easiest to work with!
NINE // A pizza cutter. They are all great! I have a few of them and prefer this one!
*When I make and freeze homemade pizza dough, I use and love this recipe. I have been making this recipe for years and always have it in my freezer. I just recently started to dabble in gluten free, hence my search for the perfect gluten free crust.
If you have been considering trying to make your own homemade pizza, I hope this will inspire you to try it! After you try it and have your first successful pizza night at home, restaurant pizza will never be as delish as your homemade version! At least that been our experience! Happy pizza making!
I agree, pizza is the best. It’s funny you should post this, as we’re having pizza for dinner tonight, but I’m taking the cheat’s way out and ordering it in xx
Yum! Homemade pizza! One of our favorite nights is just having a bunch of families over and everyone makes their own pie. I will have to invest in the mini pizza stone set…that’s currently the only drawback…no one gets to eat together or we are grilling the pizzas directly on the grill!
Can’t wait to try the crust you recommended. Do you have a recipe for your homemade sauce? I searched in other posts but can’t find it. Thanks in advance!
I love to make homemade pizza! My sister has celiac & I am wheat intolerant so we are all about the gluten free pizza! We love the new pizza dough that Pillsbury just came out with, I really recommend it! I do want to try the Cup4Cup though :)!
Kristin
Crumbs & Curls
LOVE Annie’s pizza crust recipe! Is her pizza sauce recipe the one you use when you go the homemade route? I have not found “the one” for homemade sauce just yet. thinking of you during your transition! xo
We love pizza, homemade pizza especially, at our house too!! In fact, that’s what we’re having tonight! A BBQ Chicken pizza. And it’s so true that restaurant pizza doesn’t have the same draw since we’ve started making homemade pizza.
Have you ever tried pizza on the grill? We have done this with Boboli pizza crust and then added our own toppings! It’s a wonderful change from pizza on the pizza stone!
Sounds delish… Maybe I’ll do for dinner tomorrow!
Ps I need to add a pizza peel to the kitchen. Scooting it off a cutting board can only work so many times lol :/
I could eat pizza every day! My fav. is homemade pizza bagels! all you need is microwaves bagels, pizza sauce, I like ragu,mozzarella cheese, and your fav. toppings. Thanks for the suggestions Ashley!