• Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Hospitality
    • Cooking
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Celebrate
    • Basics
  • Lovely Living
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Hurley House
    • Ina
    • Journals
  • Shop
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Table
  • Blog
  • About
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

  • Hospitality
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Cooking
    • Basics
    • Celebrate
  • Lovely Living
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Beauty
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Shop
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Table
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Ina
    • Journals
    • Hurley House
  • About

Exactly How I Made Unexpectedly Delicious Homemade Pizza

December 11, 2020 · In: Main Dish, Recipes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Let me be very clear. In no universe did I expect to make homemade pizza that tasted good or that I would want to make again. I expected to fulfill my daughter’s birthday party request for a homemade pizza party with a couple of friends.

I went to the store (Central Market, of course), bought some ingredients, followed the directions for the dough, and followed my gut on a few of the steps. Primarily, I went easy on the sauce, made sure the oven was super hot, and made sure everything was seasoned well.

Guys, when I tell you this was some of the best pizza we have eaten, I am not lying. We were all shocked, not least of all me, and stood around the cutting board in amazement.

Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I made it again a few weeks later, and this time I wrote everything down. The results were equally as stellar, which leads me to this post where I am going to walk you through exactly what I did to make unexpectedly delicious homemade pizza.

Here we go…

The Dough.
I bought four 1-pound packages of frozen pizza dough. The brand in the photo is the brand I chose at random, but I bet there are other equally delicious options.

Each package makes two pizzas. Each pizza feeds two people (or one teenage boy). So math tells us that one package of dough could feed four people. I was feeding our family plus three friends for a pizza party, and four dough balls made eight pizzas. We had leftovers (which I did not mind one bit).

I followed the directions on the frozen dough and put the dough balls (directly from the freezer) into a large bowl and drizzled them with olive oil. Then I covered the bowl with plastic and left them at room temperature for four hours while they thawed and began to rise.

The Toppings.
I gathered the following toppings:

Pepperoni
Cooked bacon
Mild Italian Sausage
Red sauce (the Del Grosso brand ended up being a winner)
White sauce (super easy recipe included below)
Pineapple (not my taste, but my kids insisted)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Marinated fresh mozzarella balls (which I quartered)
Fresh arugula + balsamic vinegar (Not pictured but, I added fresh arugula and a splash of balsamic vinegar to a hot pizza and oh my gosh yes.)

Last, but most importantly, I sprinkled each pizza with a healthy pinch of Kosher salt. Mozzarella cheese does not have salt in it, so pizza can turn out very bland if you don’t add salt. I swear this was the magic ingredient.

Four hours later, the dough was thawed and bigger. Success!

I preheated my oven to 450 degrees. I did not use any “special” pizza equipment. No stones or bricks or fire. Just my oven and parchment-lined sheet trays.

I took one ball of thawed pizza dough and split it half. Then I took each half and very casually shaped and pulled it until it was thin in the middle. I did not spend much time fussing over the dough. I don’t have time to fuss over dough. And in the end, this method worked beautifully.

The Assembly.
Pizza Number One (on the left) included white sauce, chopped cooked bacon, shredded mozzarella, quartered mozzarella balls, shredded Parmesan, and sprinkle of Kosher salt. When it came out of the oven, I immediately topped it with a handful of arugula and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Pizza Number Two (on the right) included red sauce, chopped cooked bacon, Italian sausage, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, quartered mozzarella balls, parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of Kosher salt.

I would suggest you go very light on the sauce. It really does not take very much.

I also put the crumbled meats on first and then topped them with cheese so that the cheese would melt and brown. The pepperoni went on the very top so it would get crackly and brown.

Lastly, too many toppings is not better. It makes everything soggy. These pizzas were full, but not piled high. Everything had space to heat and get melted together.

And here they are!

The white pizza is on the bottom, the red pizza is on the top. I baked them for about 20 minutes, or until the top was bubbling and (super important) the bottom of the crust was browned.

I found this to be so easy, enjoyable, and delicious! In fact, I am stocking my freezer and pantry this week with ingredients so that we can have this meal at the ready over the Christmas break. It is the perfect casual yet communal meal.

Looking for the perfect salad to serve with your pizza? Check out the recipe for The Hurley House House Salad!

I am including my recipe for the white sauce I made below…

Basic White Sauce for Pizza

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

  • In a small pot (or even a skillet), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for at least a minute to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. It will be crumbly and awkward, but just do the best you can to move the flour and butter around the bottom of your pan.
  • While whisking, slowly stream in the whole milk. Keep whisking to break up any lumps. Cook until you see a few bubbles pop on the surface. This is the sign that your sauce has thickened. Stir in the sauce and taste it. You want this sauce to be highly seasoned. If it tastes bland at all, add a pinch more salt until you taste it and want to lick the pan clean.

By: Katherine Sasser · In: Main Dish, Recipes

you’ll also love

Basil Green Goddess Dressing
Maple Pecan Baked French Toast
Hashed Brown Casserole

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Next Post >

The Hurley House House Salad

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured Posts

Spring Favorites

New Cookbooks I Am Really Enjoying

My Favorite Pie Baking Supplies

Latest on Instagram

katherinesasser

katherinesasser


See those brass tacks holding my canvas onto that
See those brass tacks holding my canvas onto that wooden frame? 

The wooden frame is made from stretcher bars, and there is a cool little tool I use to install the tacks. The whole set up isn’t complicated, but if you’re a visual learner like me, I made a little video tutorial for you over on the blog!

Elevating the everyday is not about fussy, braggad
Elevating the everyday is not about fussy, braggadocios gestures. It’s about imputing dignity and beauty into otherwise mundane or ordinary occurrences. 

It’s not about perfection. It’s about discovery. 💗

Felt right to wear a dress for Tag Sale Day! Bring
Felt right to wear a dress for Tag Sale Day! Bring on the tablecloths and tea sandwiches…let’s elevate the everyday!

Week Two of the Summer Cookbook Club is complete,
Week Two of the Summer Cookbook Club is complete, and this week was a doozy! Two big recipes with very different results. 

Check out the blog post and video for all the details!

This season’s hottest new accessory is the Ring
This season’s hottest new accessory is the Ring Pop Popsicle! 

Fantastically frosty, subtly sweet, and available in shades sure to make you salivate, this is the seasonal bling you’ve been craving. 😉

Breakfast Salad has become such an integral part o
Breakfast Salad has become such an integral part of my routine that I made it an official blog post, complete with back story, testimonial, and a recipe! Salad for breakfast? Yes please!!


Load More...



Follow on Instagram


Browse by Category

Hi, I'm Katherine

Hi, I'm Katherine
hello!

I share lifestyle content through the lens of hospitality. If you are interested in learning about the beauty that creating space can bring, you've come to the right place!

Read More

Connect

Recent Posts

Summer Cookbook Club: Week 3

Stretcher Bar and Tack Kit Tutorial

Archives

Follow Along

@katherinesasser

See those brass tacks holding my canvas onto that See those brass tacks holding my canvas onto that wooden frame? 

The wooden frame is made from stretcher bars, and there is a cool little tool I use to install the tacks. The whole set up isn’t complicated, but if you’re a visual learner like me, I made a little video tutorial for you over on the blog!
Elevating the everyday is not about fussy, braggad Elevating the everyday is not about fussy, braggadocios gestures. It’s about imputing dignity and beauty into otherwise mundane or ordinary occurrences. 

It’s not about perfection. It’s about discovery. 💗
Felt right to wear a dress for Tag Sale Day! Bring Felt right to wear a dress for Tag Sale Day! Bring on the tablecloths and tea sandwiches…let’s elevate the everyday!
Week Two of the Summer Cookbook Club is complete, Week Two of the Summer Cookbook Club is complete, and this week was a doozy! Two big recipes with very different results. 

Check out the blog post and video for all the details!
This season’s hottest new accessory is the Ring This season’s hottest new accessory is the Ring Pop Popsicle! 

Fantastically frosty, subtly sweet, and available in shades sure to make you salivate, this is the seasonal bling you’ve been craving. 😉
Breakfast Salad has become such an integral part o Breakfast Salad has become such an integral part of my routine that I made it an official blog post, complete with back story, testimonial, and a recipe! Salad for breakfast? Yes please!!
Yesterday in The Lovely I wrote about how I am not Yesterday in The Lovely I wrote about how I am not good at what I call summering.

Summering is when we embrace a season of rest. I am good at daily and weekly recharging, but an entire season of rest? Ummm, not my strong suit.

And so, when faced with something I am not yet good at, I approach it the same way I approach anything else I want to learn. I dive in and do the thing!

If you need me, I will be actively summering. Flubbing it up, figuring it out, and knowing that learning by doing is the way forward.
Lillian chose a smoky purple. Norah went with a pu Lillian chose a smoky purple. Norah went with a punchy pink. And I stuck with my favorite red. Let flip flop season begin!

Copyright © 2022 ·