Making pizza at home is surprisingly quick and easy, especially if you have all your ingredients prepped in advance.
After years of trial and error, I’ve refined a method that guarantees a crispy, cheesy, and utterly delicious pizza every time. Here’s exactly how to do it.
Step 1: Preheat Your Oven
For the best results, set your oven to its highest temperature. Most home ovens range from 475°F to 550°F.
Professional pizza ovens reach up to 1,000°F, so we want to get as close to that as possible.
Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes to ensure it’s fully heated. If you have a pizza stone, place it inside during preheating.
Pro Tip: Have a kitchen towel ready in case your smoke detector goes off due to any spilt toppings or melted cheese.
Step 2: Preparing Your Pizza Dough
Start with 12 to 16 ounces of pizza dough. Whether homemade or store-bought, the key is in how you handle it.
Best way to roll out dough:
- Instead of using flour (which can make the crust tough), drizzle a bit of olive oil on your work surface.
- Press down from the centre, gently stretching outward while maintaining a slightly thicker edge for the crust.
- If using a rolling pin, lift the edges after rolling to create a defined crust.
Pro Tip: Transfer the dough onto parchment paper before adding toppings for an easier oven transfer.
Step 3: Pre-Baking the Crust (Optional but Recommended)
Par-baking for 1–2 minutes helps ensure a fully cooked crust. Place the dough (with parchment paper) on a pizza stone, baking sheet, or pizza pan, then bake briefly until it puffs slightly. Remove and pop any bubbles before adding toppings.
Step 4: Choosing the Right Cheese
For the ultimate cheesy pizza, use a combination of shredded and sliced mozzarella. Pre-shredded mozzarella works fine, but freshly shredded cheese melts more evenly. Adding a sprinkle of parmesan on top enhances the flavour.
Step 5: Adding Toppings
Your options are limitless! Here are some classic combinations:
- Cheese Pizza—Mozzarella, Fontina, Parmesan, Gorgonzola
- Pepperoni—Classic or crispy “cup and curl” pepperoni
- Supreme—pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, onions, olives
- Meat Lovers—Sausage, bacon, ham, salami
- Margherita—Fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes
- BBQ Chicken—Barbecue sauce, chicken, red onion, bacon
- Buffalo Chicken—Hot sauce, chicken, garlic, blue cheese
Step 6: Baking Your Pizza
Bake your pizza for 8–12 minutes, depending on your oven’s heat and the thickness of your crust.
The cheese should bubble and brown slightly, and the bottom crust should be golden. Try to minimise how often you open the oven to maintain consistent heat.
Should You Use a Pizza Stone? A pizza stone transforms a regular oven into a mini brick oven by absorbing and distributing heat evenly.
It also draws moisture from the crust, preventing sogginess. If you don’t have a stone, an inverted baking sheet or a perforated pizza pan can work in a pinch.
Enjoying Your Perfect Homemade Pizza
Once baked, let your pizza rest for a couple of minutes before slicing. This helps set the cheese and prevents toppings from sliding off.
Whether you keep it classic or get adventurous with flavours, homemade pizza is always a winner.
