Tips on Making Home-Made Pizza

1. Let the dough come to room temperature

The dough needs to be at room temperature in order to properly stretch. Otherwise, it will try to snap back into a ball when you stretch it. Make sure to let it sit out of the freidge for at least 30 minutes before attempting to stretch it out.

2. A little Olive Oil goes a long way

Make sure to spread some olive oil on your working surface to keep the dough from sticking! And don’t be afraid to get some on your hands too, it’ll make handling the dough much easier. Bonus: the oil will help give that pizza a delicious crust.

3. Press the dough out before you stretch it

Once your workspace is prepared, press the dough out into a flat disk with your palms. Once you’ve got it to about 6-7 inches across, you’re ready to do some stretching.

4. Use gravity!

Use both hands to stretch the dough out into a circle, but let gravity do some of the work! Turn the dough around like a wheel as you stretch it. This will help to make it a nice, even circle.

5. use cornmeal on the pizza peel

Once the dough is stretched to your liking, you can move it over to your pizza peel or pan. If you’re using a pizza peel, make sure to throw a sprinkling of cornmeal on there first to prevent sticking. If there are any small holes in the dough, simply pinch the areas closed. Then cover with your desired toppings! Make sure to give your pizza a shake after you put it on the peel. You don’t want it to stick when you throw it in the oven! If the pizza moves a little on the peel, you’re all set.

*tip: I like to brush a little olive oil over the edges of the pizza after I put the toppings on for an even crispier crust. You can even season it with garlic salt or any other flavoring you’d like.

Got any tips of your own you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments below!