Get to know easy ways to elevate your homemade pizza and make it easily comparable to the restaurant-bought pizza.
It’s very hard to find someone who doesn’t love pizza. It’s the ultimate comfort food for most of us. Ninety-four percent of Americans have pizza regularly. Pizza generally has a lot of different flavors at once because of the different toppings. Moreover, the cheese acts as the cherry on top. Overall, this Italian delicacy pleases most people without a fail.
For most of us, whenever we crave pizza, the only thing that comes to our mind is to rush to your favorite restaurant or get it delivered. Let’s be honest; it’s not that reasonable. It’s a bit too much to spend considering how often we want to have it. The truth is you don’t need to burn a hole in your pocket every time you crave pizza. You can make it at home and that would be a lot cheaper.
The idea of making your own pizza might intimidate a lot of us either because you have attempted it previously and failed, or you believe that the taste won’t be the same. However, the truth is YOU CAN MAKE RESTAURANT-QUALITY PIZZA AT HOME. Yes, and it’s not that hard. Continue reading to know more about the factors that can help you make the best pizza.
Crust
The perfect golden crust on a pizza is something that many people find hard to achieve. Pizza is generally cooked at very high heat. Traditionally, it is done in a brick or clay oven that elevates the process even more. This whole process is what gives that perfect crust. You obviously won’t have one of those at home just to make pizzas.
It’s very important to cook the pizza in a very hot oven. However, using a brick or clay oven is not always necessary. An electric oven or gas oven would work, but if you are planning to do it without an oven, don’t expect a lot from it because stovetop pizzas can’t match store-bought pizzas. An electric oven will give you the best results, but gas ovens work fine too.
Another thing to keep in mind is to preheat the oven very well. Don’t rush it. As mentioned before, pizza needs to be cooked at a very high temperature. So before you put the pizza in the oven, make sure it is fully heated. Preheat for at least ten minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the base and brush some oil on it. After the oven heats, bake the base for about five minutes. Then take it out and spread the sauce, add the toppings, and finally bake until it’s golden. This should give you a nice crust.
Sauce
After the crust, we have a layer of sauce. This is what brings character and flavor to your pizza. Don’t ever skip this step. Otherwise, you might end up with a dry and flavorless pizza. Though this step is a must, you don’t need a lot of sauce. It is ideal to use a thin layer of sauce. Otherwise, the pizza base or bread might get soggy.
Most restaurants use a sauce made from tomatoes. You can use a homemade sauce. A sauce made from tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic will give you the real flavor. You can season the sauce as you need. Some tend to use canned tomato paste or puree. Though this is the easiest option, the results are not very satisfying. If you want to use canned tomatoes, make sure to cook them for a bit. Allow it to thicken and add some seasonings.
There’s another option available which is easy to use and great tasting but might not be the healthiest. That is to use ready-made pizza sauce or pasta sauce. You can find countless options in ready-made pizza sauce. Because they have so many options, you’ll get a lot of diversity with your pizza. You can even use alfredo, pesto, or white sauce in your pizza. These are quite popular these days. However, make sure the sauce you use pairs well with the toppings you are using.
Toppings
Now comes the most exciting part. Toppings are undoubtedly the heart of the pizza. They play the most vital role in customizing or bringing life to the pizza. Authentic Italian pizza generally has very simple toppings. The standard common pizza contains tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and some basil leaves. It may sound boring, but honestly, it tastes amazing. The real fresh flavors shine through.
You don’t need to limit yourself to just mozzarella, tomatoes, or basil. You can top your pizza however you want. A lot of people prefer vegetables on their pizza. According to research, women are most likely to get vegetables on their pizza. That’s a great choice though. The problem is, when you try to make a vegetable pizza at home, the vegetables most of the time feel very crunchy and undercooked, which ruins the taste.
A common mistake here is to put raw vegetables on the pizza. The vegetables are very less likely to cook properly in such a short span (pizza generally takes about ten minutes to cook). So what we can do is to cook the vegetables separately. You can sauté or blanch your vegetables before you put them on the pizza. This way, they would have a very tender and soft texture.
If you prefer meat on your pizza, you can’t put raw meat on your pizza. Whether you choose chicken or beef, you need to cook it well before. Unlike the vegetables, you need to season it well while cooking. Otherwise, they would taste very bland. You can sauté the meat with some oil, salt, pepper, and some sauces. Then it’s ready to be put on the pizza. You can use sausages or salami on your pizza as well. Make sure to slice them thinly so you won’t need to cook them prior.
Now let’s talk cheese. Can you even think of a pizza without cheese? Originally, pizza was made with mozzarella because it gives that stretch and elasticity. However, you can experiment with cheddar or any other cheese you like.
To Sum Up
Follow the tips and tricks mentioned above and make the best pizza ever without burning a hole in your pocket.