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It’s easy to learn how to make pizza …

It all begins with the dough. If you can make yeast bread, then making pizza crust will be a snap. Making pizza is actually a snap even if you don’t know how to make yeast bread.

Where did Pizza originate?

Pizza as we know it today originated in Naples, Italy in 1889. Raffaele Esposito, a baker, created a special dish to honor the visiting king and queen of Italy, Umberto and Margherita. Esposito topped Neapolitan flat bread with green basil, white mozzarella cheese, and red tomato sauce to reflect the colors of the Italian flag. Of course, many bakers soon copied the dish.

People of ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures made an early form of pizza by baking bread, with simple toppings, on stones in a wood-fired oven.

Types of Pizza

Pizza can be made in many forms. You can grill it or bake it in a brick oven (or a simulated brick oven), make deep dish pizza or prepare the pizza dough in your bread machine and then bake it in a pan or on a baking stone.

Here are some of the common types of pizzas.

Pizza recipes

Try some of these homemade pizza recipes

• Neapolitan pizza is thin and round.
• Sicilian pizza is rectangular and thick.
• In a Chicago-style pizza , layers of toppings fill a high-edged crust in a deep pan.
• New York style pizza has a thin crust with a thick, puffy outer edge.
• A calzone is folded pizza dough baked with the toppings inside.

Topping the Pizza

Once you learn how to make pizza crust you really like, then it’s time to perfect the toppings. Pizza tastes so much better when you use the freshest ingredients. If you have the time (or inclination) to make your own sauce, we highly recommend it. Not only does it make the pizza taste better, your friends and family will be so impressed.

Freezing the Pizza Crust

After you’ve baked the pizza crust, it can easily be frozen and kept for as long as six months. Just be sure it is completely cooled before freezing. Wrap it in plastic first, then in foil. When you want pizza, take the crust from the freezer, cover it with topping, and place it in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes. You don’t even need to thaw the crust.

Resources to help you learn how to make pizza:

Homemade pizza recipes – This section includes recipes for all types of pizza from breakfast pizza to taco pizza and every pizza in between.

Pizza ingredients – Are you looking for a special ingredient for your pizza? We have some special products to make your pizza taste even better.

Pizza Supplies – We offer a variety of pizza peels, pizza stones, and other pizza pans and tools.

Pizza Cookbooks – We have a wonderful selection of cookbooks such as American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza by Peter Reinhart and Pizza on the Grill: 100 Feisty Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza & More by Elizabeth Karmel.

Pizza mixes – If you’re not ready to make pizza completely from scratch but want that homemade taste and experience, then pizza mixes are the next best thing.

Learn how to make pizza in the bread baking blog

Here you’ll find a variety of recipes, including step-by-step instructions on making pizza.

Here are some of the pizzas we’ve featured in the blog:

• Gluten-Free Olive Oil Pizza Dough
• Grilled BBQ Pizza with Whole Wheat Olive Oil Dough
• Grilled Pizza Margherita
• Spelt Pizza
• Southwestern Focaccia/Pizza using Mesquite Dough

Sources: Reilly, John G. “Pizza.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wts/Article?id=ar750160> Oppenneer, Betsy. The Bread Book . Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1994.

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How to Make Pizza

A guide by Sam Sifton

You can make pizza at home. In fact, you can make pizza that will equal some of the best on the planet. With planning and practice, you can become good at it — even if you are a relatively novice cook. We are here to help that happen.

Before You Start

Plan ahead. Make the dough at least a day before you intend to make pizza, to give it enough time to rise.

Buy a food scale on which to weigh the ingredients for dough and toppings. It’s a smart investment: In baking, weight is a more accurate measurement than volume.

You will need a cooking surface. This could be a pizza stone or steel, or four to six unglazed quarry tiles measuring 6 inches by 6 inches from a building supply store. Whichever you use, heat in a very hot oven for at least an hour before cooking.

Roberta’s Pizza Dough

Recipe from carlo mirarchi , brandon hoy , chris parachini and katherine wheelock adapted by sam sifton.

• Yield Two 12-inch pizzas
• Time 20 minutes plus at least 3 hours' rising

Melina Hammer for The New York Times

This recipe, adapted from Roberta’s, the pizza and hipster haute-cuisine utopia in Bushwick, Brooklyn, provides a delicate, extraordinarily flavorful dough that will last in the refrigerator for up to a week. It rewards close attention to weight rather than volume in the matter of the ingredients, and asks for a mixture of finely ground Italian pizza flour (designated “00” on the bags and available in some supermarkets, many specialty groceries and always online) and regular all-purpose flour. As ever with breads, rise time will depend on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen and refrigerator.

Our Greatest Pizza Recipes —Sam Sifton

Featured in: A Little Pizza Homework . 

Ingredients

• 153 grams 00 flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
• 153 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons)
• 8 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
• 2 grams active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)
• 4 grams extra-virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon)

Preparation

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams (a little less than 1 cup) lukewarm tap water, the yeast and the olive oil, then pour it into flour mixture. Knead with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes, then let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
• Knead rested dough for 3 minutes. Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on a heavily floured surface, cover with dampened cloth, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)
• To make pizza, place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares. Top and bake.

Storing the Dough

Allow for a minimum of three to four hours for your dough to rise. But planning further ahead pays dividends: You can store that dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook, which means any weeknight can be pizza night.

Melina Hammer for The New York Times pizza dough..Published 04-09-2014

We put our pizza dough in the refrigerator to rise, placing the balls of dough on a floured baking pan covered loosely with a clean, damp kitchen towel. The chill leads to a slow rise, so we generally allow it to go overnight, or for at least six to eight hours. For a faster rise, leave the dough out on a countertop, similarly covered. It should be ready — that is, roughly doubled in size — in three or four hours.

Time imparts a marvelous tanginess to pizza dough, but it extracts a price as well. What you want to avoid is a skin developing on the dough . When the dough has risen, if you are not going to use it right away, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap , or place it in a quart-size plastic bag. Pizza dough so wrapped will last in the refrigerator for three days or so.

Another option is to freeze the dough using this incredibly easy freezer dough recipe . Make it, put it in the freezer in a freezer-safe plastic bag, and then move it to the refrigerator on the morning of the evening you want to cook.

If you end up making pizza at least once a week, consider investing in a few pizza dough pans , available in restaurant supply stores.

Shaping the Pizza

Shaping a pizza takes practice. The goal is to make a thin circle of dough, with a raised edge around circumference of the pie. Don’t worry if that doesn’t happen the first few times. Pizzas shaped like trapezoids or kites taste just as delicious.

Working on a floured surface, with floured hands, softly pat down the risen ball of dough into a circle , rotating it as you do.

Using the tips of your fingers, push down gently around the perimeter of the pie, rotating it as you do, to create the edge.

Pick up the dough and lightly pass it back and forth between your palms, trying to rotate it each time you do, using gravity to help the dough stretch. At approximately 12 inches in diameter, the pizza is ready to go.

Return the pizza to the floured surface, making sure that the side that you first pressed down upon remains facing upward, and gently slide the pie back and forth a few times to make sure that it does not stick . Add a little more flour to the surface beneath the pie if it does.

Gently slide a lightly floured pizza peel beneath the pie, or place it carefully on a floured cutting board or the back of a baking pan. Make sure again that the dough can slide back and forth. If it does, the pie is certified for topping.

The act of topping a pizza is a gentle one. Use a light touch. Above all, try not to overload the pie, particularly its center, which will lead to an undercooked crust. Two to three tablespoons of sauce are all you need, and perhaps a small drizzle of olive oil, accompanied by a couple of other toppings.

Pizza sauce does not need to be cooked ahead of time, and is so simply prepared that there is no reason to use the store-bought variety. Instead, use a food processor to combine a can of whole, drained tomatoes with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Spread the sauce out on the dough using the back of a spoon, stopping approximately 1/2 inch from the dough’s edges. Do not use too much ; two or three tablespoons is enough. Keep leftover sauce refrigerated.

Mozzarella is the traditional pizza cheese, but depending on the sort of pie you are creating, really any good melting cheese will do: fontina, Cheddar, Colby, blue, provolone and smoked Gouda, among others, make for delicious pizzas.

Meat on a pizza is an option for some. Sausage and meatballs are both traditional toppings and should be cooked beforehand. Pepperoni, ham and other cured meats do not need to be, though delicate sheets of air-dried beef or pork should perhaps go onto the pie midway through or at the end of the cooking process, lest they dry out in the heat.

Anchovies are a marvelous addition to pizzas, and so are clams and mussels , even sheets of smoked salmon, particularly when paired with crème fraîche and capers.

Making a fried egg breakfast pizza is not for freshman-class pizza makers. Sliding a pizza topped with a raw egg into a hot oven takes patience and practice. In the meantime, while your pizza is cooking, gently fry an egg in olive oil in a small skillet on the stove, and when the pizza is done, slide it gently on top of the pie.

You can put anything on a pizz a . The question is where, and when. Herbs can go below cheese to protect them from the heat of the oven, or onto the top of the pie when it’s done.

Pineapple can take heat like a fireman and can go on from the start, raw. Grapes can, too (a nice pairing for sausage). Mushrooms , though, should be cooked on the stovetop before you use them as a topping for pizza. Likewise peppers both red and green. (Thinly-sliced jalapeno pepper is an exception.) Potatoes can go on a pizza raw only if you’re cooking in a very, very hot oven and you’ve sliced them very, very thinly – otherwise, parboil them before slicing and adding them to the top of a pie. Grilled asparagus is an excellent addition to a “white,” or tomato-free pizza. We like thinly sliced Brussels sprouts , sometimes, on similar pies (pair with pancetta!), and leeks melted slowly over butter as well.

As a rough guide: Precook anything that won’t cook fast, or cut it so thinly that it will. Anything delicate, like a pile of arugula dressed simply in lemon juice and oil, can go on the pie when it’s done, to cook gently in the pizza’s residual heat.

Cooking the Pizza

We cook most of our pizzas in the oven, on top of a stone or a steel. But you can bake pizza in a sheet pan as well, or grill it outdoors. You can even cook a pizza on a stovetop.

Baking in the Oven

To bake a pizza in an oven, you’ll need either to do it on a stone or metal surface, or in a sheet pan. Either way, you should set the oven to its highest temperature and let it heat it for a full hour before you intend to cook.

If you are using a pizza stone, steel or a set of tiles, begin by placing it on the middle rack of the oven before you turn it on, allowing it to preheat for a hour.

When you’re ready to cook, carefully place your shaped dough on a lightly floured pizza peel or cutting board, or on the back of a baking pan. Gently shake the peel, board or pan back and forth a few times to make sure the dough can move, then add your toppings.

Pick up your pizza peel with the topped pie on top of it, and gently slide the pie onto the stone or tiles, starting at the back of the oven and working your way toward its front. Bake for about four to eight minutes, until the edges are a beautiful golden brown, and the sauce and cheese are bubbling nicely. Slide the peel back under the baked pizza to remove it from the oven, and then slide the pizza onto a cutting board, where it can be cut into slices.

If you are using a sheet pan, lightly oil the pan , then stretch the risen dough into the shape of the pan, then top and place in the oven until golden brown and bubbling.

Pan-Frying on the Stovetop

Cooking a pizza on top of the stove is a simple way to get started in the pizza-making game, and a single ball of dough will yield two pan pizzas .

Simply heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, then film it with olive oil. Take one half of a ball of risen pizza dough and press it out into a circle just smaller than the pan .

When the oil shimmers, put the dough in the pan and adjust the heat so it browns evenly without burning. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork. Cook this round in the pan for a minute or so, then turn it over with the bottom is browned and cover with toppings. Either top the pan with a lid to melt the cheese or run it under a broiler to achieve the same result.

Grilling Outdoors

Grilling pizza really means grilling one side of a flatbread over fire , then turning it over and topping it. And while you can certainly use our essential pizza dough recipe to do that, a sturdier dough recipe that is less prone to ripping will yield a better result.

To cook a pizza on a grill requires some planning. You need to cook one side of the pizza before turning it over and topping it, and cooking the other side. So take time to assemble all the ingredients you’ll need to make the pizzas beforehand.

Prepare a hot fire; if your grill grate is clean, you shouldn’t need to oil it. Slide the pizza dough from the peel onto the rack. After a few minutes, use tongs to lift the dough and check whether it’s browning on the bottom . Watch closely so it doesn’t burn. When it’s nicely browned, use the tongs to flip the dough over, then brush it with olive oil and cover it with toppings. Place the lid on the grill for a few minutes more until the cheese is melted.

Our Greatest Pizza Recipes

Pizza Margherita

Sam Sifton, Carlo Mirarchi, Brandon Hoy, Chris Parachini, Katherine Wheelock

15 minutes, plus 1 hour to heat oven

Quick Pizza Dough

Suzanne Lenzer

About 30 minutes

Green and White Pizza

Rick Easton’s Pizza With Peppers

Mark Bittman, Rick Easton

1 hour, plus rising

Creamed Kale Pizza

Cheeses Pizza

Pizza With Caramelized Onions, Figs, Bacon and Blue Cheese

45 minutes, plus 45 minutes for preheating oven

20 minutes plus at least 3 hours' rising

Mussel Pizza

Martha Rose Shulman

See all recipes

© 2012 - 2023 SWASTHI'S RECIPES

Pizza recipe | How to make pizza | Homemade pizza recipe

By Swasthi on August 28, 2022, Comments , Jump to Recipe

Pizza recipe with video – Learn to make pizza at home like a pro with these simple step by step instructions. This detailed post will help you make the best pizza which I am sure will be your family favorite. This pizza has a crisp, light & chewy base with great flavor (no overpowering smell of yeast!!). The sauce is amazingly delicious & aromatic. So this post covers everything from scratch – making the pizza dough, making the sauce and assembling the pizza.

Making a delicious and perfect cheesy pizza at home is much simpler than we think. There are numerous recipes online to make it but over the years this easy recipe has become our family favorite. Try this and you will never want to order a pizza again. You will be in love with your homemade pizza!!

During my initial days of learning I followed a basic recipe from Bob’s red mill for the pizza base which turned out to be good.

After making it time and again for many years this basic pizza recipe got a makeover. I learnt a lot of tricks & techniques to make the best at home with little effort. So I thought of updating this post with better and detailed instructions along with many tips.

About this recipe

This pizza recipe consists of 3 sections

• Making pizza dough – Get the secrets for a light, crisp, chewy and flavourful base without the overpowering smell of yeast.
• Making sauce – Pizza sauce made with real fresh tomatoes & herbs is so much tastier than the store bought bottled one and it does make a big difference to your homemade pizza.
• Assembling and baking the pizza – instructions to bake a perfect crisp and golden crust using a baking tray, pizza pan & pizza stone.

So what’s new in my updated pizza recipe?

Apart from the above, I have also shared how to make pizza dough with less yeast following the slow rise method. This also imparts more flavour & gives a better crust.

After I made this a lot of times I realized less yeast and longer rise is the secret to the most delicious & flavourful pizza crust. Plus it is healthier as the dough ferments longer and is easier to digest.

This is a very old post on the blog which has been tried and loved by many of you. So I haven’t changed a thing in this pizza recipe. Instead I have updated this slow rise method as an option in the instructions.

Related recipes you may like Cheese Balls Cheese sandwich Veg burger Masala pasta Sandwich recipes

Preparation for pizza recipe

1. Bring yeast, flour and sugar (or maple syrup) to room temperature. I generally keep all of these out of the fridge an hour before making the dough.

2. Firstly pour half cup luke warm water to a large mixing bowl. Dip your finger in the water to check if it is just warm & not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast and won’t let the pizza dough rise.

An ideal temperature of water is 40 to 43 C – 105 to 110 F. If you live in a very cold place, just warm up your bowl first. Next pour warm water.

Proof yeast

3. Add 1 teaspoon yeast (3 grams) to the warm water. You can use instant yeast or active yeast. More details in the tips section below. If you prefer to go with low yeast and let it rise slowly, then add only 1/3 teaspoon yeast (1 gram).

4. Add 1 teaspoon raw sugar or maple syrup. Avoid using refined white sugar.

5. Stir it gently. Allow this to rest undisturbed for 10 to 12 minutes.

6. The mixture must turn frothy and bubbly. With instant yeast it won’t turn very frothy but will still froth to a minimum and you can see the yeast bubbling up.

If you fail to get a frothy mixture, do not proceed further with this yeast. It is inactive. So just discard this. Start again with fresh warm water, yeast and sugar. Repeat the steps from 1 to 4.

Make pizza dough

7. When the yeast turns frothy, add 2½ cups flour (300 grams), ⅓ teaspoon salt and 1½ tablespoon olive oil to the mixing bowl. Here I have used organic unbleached all-purpose flour. You can also use 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1½ cup fine wheat flour.

8. Mix all of them to form a dough. You will need more water (about 2 to 3 tbsps) so add accordingly a little at a time until it forms a smooth and soft non-sticky dough. If the dough is sticky then you may sprinkle some flour.

9. Knead the dough for 5 mins. Use the heel of your hand to press down the dough against the kitchen counter/worktop and roll the pizza dough across. Next fold it. Repeat this for a 4 to 5 minutes. At the end pizza dough should be soft and when you poke it with your finger, it should dent and bounce back slowly. This is the indication of the dough being ready.

Proofing dough

10. Shape it to form a ball and apply a thin layer of oil to prevent the dough from drying up. Also grease your bowl with some oil.

11. Cover the bowl with a moist napkin or lid. Rest at room temperature until the dough rises and doubles in size. An ideal temperature for rising dough is 26 C (80 F) to 32 C (90 F).

Depending on the temperature, the dough may take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. I advise not to go by timings but to let it double in size.

With low yeast, I let it proof for about 8 hours near the window avoiding direct sun. During colder days, leave it overnight in a warm place.

If you live in a cold country, then you can proof the dough in the instant pot with yogurt settings (LOW).

Make pizza sauce

12. To begin with puree 400 to 500 grams of tomatoes in a blender. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a pan and add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves (about a tablespoon). Fry the garlic a bit until a nice aroma comes out for a minute. Then add 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes.

13. Pour the tomato puree. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Give a good stir.

14. Cover the pot partially and simmer until the tomatoes cook down and reduce to a thick consistency. Be careful at this stage as the puree splashes a lot. Occasionally reduce the flame and give a good mix.

15. When the mixture thickens to a sauce like consistency, add 1 teaspoon Italian herbs and ½ teaspoon crushed pepper. Taste test this and add more herbs, pepper or salt as needed.

16. The consistency of the sauce has to be thick and of spreading consistency. It should not be runny otherwise the pizza will be soggy and wet beneath the cheese. Cool this completely and transfer to a jar if using it later.

Prepare veggies

17. When you are ready to make the pizza, prepare the veggies & grate the cheese. We prefer only onions, lots of bell peppers, mushrooms and olives. You can use whatever veggies you prefer.

Keep the veggies at room temperature for a few hours so they don’t let out moisture on the pizza making it soggy. If using bottled olives drain them to a small strainer.

How to make pizza (thin crust)

18. When the pizza dough doubles in size, it will look like this. With longer proofing the dough will have lots of air pockets and will rise more.

19. Transfer it to the work surface & punch it down to deflate and remove the air bubbles.

20. Divide to 2 to 3 parts depending on the size you prefer.

21. Knead a bit and shape them to round balls. If the dough is too sticky then sprinkle some flour & knead. I made one 9 inch thin crust and then two 6 inch thick crust pizzas. Alternately you can make three 9 inch thin crust or a single 14 inch thin crust pizza with this recipe.

I made one pizza the same day and refrigerated the rest for the subsequent days. Just wrapped it in a cling wrap and put it in the fridge.

The flavor of the yeast dough gets much better with cold fermentation as it ages in the fridge. This keeps good for 3 days. To use the refrigerated dough let it to come down to room temperature before using. This may take 2 to 4 hours depending on where you live.

22. When you see the dough has relaxed and is ready to be stretched, preheat the oven to the highest temperature, 220 to 240 C or 470F for at least 25 to 30 mins. Place a baking tray or a cast iron pan in the middle rack and heat it as well in the oven. This baking tray/cast iron pan will help to achieve a golden and crisp pizza crust. To use a pizza stone refer the faqs below.

If the dough is too sticky then sprinkle some flour & knead.

23. Sprinkle some cornmeal evenly on a tray. Place a dough ball and flatten it with your fingers. Add few drops of oil.

Begin to spread and stretch the dough on the tray with your fingers. Flatten to a 9 inch thin even base. Keep the edges slightly thicker than the centre. I do not use a rolling pin as sometimes the pizza base turns out dense as the rolling pin deflates the air bubbles.

24. Next spread pizza sauce as desired. 

25. Lastly layer grated cheese. Then layer the veggies of your choice. Add more cheese on top avoiding the veggies. Sprinkle Italian herbs and chili flakes as preferred.

26. Transfer the pizza tray to the oven. Place it right over the hot baking tray/ cast iron pan in the preheated oven. Bake it for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the crust becomes golden and crisp. Adjust the baking time as needed.

Let the temperature come down a bit and then slice it. Serve hot.

Make thick crust pizza

27. I also made two 6 inch thick crust personal pizzas. If making thick pizza base then, I stretch the dough first. You can also prick the base with a fork a few times (8 to 9 times) & bake it for 5 – 7 mins first. Then smear the sauce and layer the toppings.

28. Bake this for about 8 to 10 mins. If your cheese doesn’t get golden, you can move it to the top rack and bake for another 2 to 3 mins.

Tips to make the best pizza

Activate Yeast: Always activate yeast first before adding it to the flour. Usually instant yeast is added directly to the flour but you can also activate it the same way as active yeast. This way you will save your flour in case the instant yeast is dead.

Avoid using a lot of yeast : Using lesser yeast is the secret to the best pizzas served in restaurants and pizzeria. Use less and give more time for the yeast to work well. This results in a better flavour & best tasting pizza crust.

Let dough rise slowly at room temperature: Do not hasten to rise it quickly at higher temperature. Slow rise pizza dough acquires a unique flavour and better texture.

Do not go by the time factor let it rise until it doubles. On colder days it takes longer.

Bake thick crust base : If you are baking a thick crust pizza base in a small oven, then it is good to bake the pizza base first for 5 to 7 mins and then smear the sauce and top it with veggies & cheese. Then bake it to finish off.

Most times a thick pizza base doesn’t get cooked well in smaller ovens while the cheese gets browned.

Pizzas served in pizzerias are cooked in large wood fired ovens. These are very hot & mostly baked on pizza stones or baking stones hence the base gets cooked well.

Health Note:  Do not use regular maida to make pizza. Regular maida is chemically bleached and has tons of adverse effects on our health.

If you do not find organic or unbleached flour, just make the pizza with very fine quality whole wheat flour and make a thin crust pizza. It turns out very good that way too.

FAQS on pizza recipe

What is the best flour for pizza dough?

00 flour is considered to be a gold standard for making Italian pizza. It is pricey in many countries and is not easily available. So many pizza pros use bread flour. However all-purpose flour is widely used by home cooks as it yields similar results.

If you prefer to limit refined flour, you may use fine white wheat flour or 50% all-purpose flour & 50% whole wheat flour. But use organic flour or at least unbleached & unbromated flour.

How long to knead pizza dough?

4 to 5 minutes of kneading the dough is good enough. But then everyone’s hand pressure is different so focus on the texture of the dough and not the time. Dough should be soft and when you press down it should dent and bounce back slowly. This is the indication of the dough being ready.

Can you refrigerate pizza dough?

Yes. After the dough rises, divide it to smaller portions as needed. Shape them to balls, cover and refrigerate. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before stretching it.

Is it better to roll or stretch pizza dough?

Rolling pin deflates the gas pockets in the dough and can make the pizza base denser. So pizza dough is always hand stretched. An easier way to stretch is to sprinkle some flour on a parchment paper or baking tray. Place the dough ball and drizzle little oil over it. Then stretch it using your fingers over the tray/ parchment paper.

If you still want to use a rolling pin, then you may roll the dough until ¾ of the diameter. Then hand stretch the rest & create a border so it is not flat on the edges.

Baking tray vs Pizza crisper vs Cast iron pan

Pizzerias use pizza stones which gives pizza the best crust. The next best choice is a cast iron griddle or a perforated pizza pan (crisper) which have holes in them. These allow heat to hit directly right at the bottom of the crust resulting in a crispier crust. These are better than the regular pans. I have shared a picture of perforated tray above. However a regular baking tray can also be used.

If using a perforated pan, then stretch the pizza on a wooden board or parchment paper. Then transfer to the perforated pizza pan.

How to cook pizza without oven?

If you do not have an oven, you can bake the pizza in a pan on stovetop. For best results use less yeast (1/3 teaspoon for this recipe), follow the slow rise method to make the dough & bake it on a cast iron pan. To bake on stovetop, avoid using dough that has a lot of yeast in it as cooking on stovetop won’t yield the same results and your pizza will smell yeasty.

For the step by step instructions to bake it on stovetop check out this stovetop tawa pizza without yeast.

How to cook pizza on a pizza stone?

Preheat the oven with the pizza stone placed in the center of the oven. Set the oven temperature to the highest and preheat for at least 30 mins. While most experts suggest to preheat for an hour I do it only for 30 mins.

Sprinkle a generous amount of cornmeal all over a wooden pizza peel. Place the dough ball on a parchment paper and drizzle some oil. Hand stretch it over the parchment paper. Gently remove it and place on the peel.

Shake it gently to & fro to ensure it is not sticking to the peel. Then smear the sauce and dress up the pizza.

Once you are done dressing it do not rest it on the peel. Ensure it goes right away into the oven over the hot stone.

Take the pizza peel over to the other end of the stone & gently jerk/ jolt the pizza over the stone. If you have used the right amount of cornmeal it will slide almost effortlessly.

Why is my dough sticking to the peel?

Using the wrong peel is the most common cause. Use a wooden pizza peel. The second reason can be too much moisture in the dough.

Why does my pizza smell or taste yeasty?

Too much yeast in the dough, rising it at high temperature or rising it for too long at higher temperature can leave your pizza with a strong smell of yeast.

Instead start with lower amount of yeast & let it rise slowly for longer until it doubles or triples. 26 C (80 F) to 32 C (90 F) is ideal temperature for rising.

If the temperature is too high, dough rises too quickly not giving the yeast enough time to react. This may leave a strong smell of the yeast in the pizza even after baking it well.

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Pizza recipe | How to make pizza

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

For pizza dough.

• ▢ 2½ cups organic all-purpose flour (300 grams) or (1 cup all-purpose flour & 1½ cup wheat flour)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dry active yeast or instant yeast (3 grams) (or ⅓ tsp for slow rise)
• ▢ ½ cup warm water +2 tbsp. (or as needed)
• ▢ 1½ tablespoon olive oil (or any oil)
• ▢ ⅓ teaspoon salt (use as needed)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon organic sugar (or 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornmeal (or fine semolina)

For pizza sauce

• ▢ 400 grams tomatoes (fine chopped or pureed)
• ▢ 2 garlic (cloves chopped finely)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian herbs (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, adjust to taste)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper (coarse crushed or powder)
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoon oil (preferably olive oil)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon organic sugar (or as needed)

For pizza toppings

• ▢ 200 grams Mozzarella cheese (use as needed)
• ▢ 1½ cups Mix vegetables sliced or cubed (capsicum, onions, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Italian herbs ( or oregano as desired)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste, optional)

Instructions

• ▢ Pour ½ cup luke warm water to a large mixing bowl. If your mixing bowl is cold, first warm it up a bit by swirling some hot water in it. Discard the hot water and then pour luke warm water. An ideal temperature of warm water is 40 to 43 C or 105 to 110 F.
• ▢ Dip your finger and ensure the water is warm and not hot. Then add yeast and sugar. Stir and set aside undisturbed for 10 to 12 minutes.
• ▢ After 15 mins the yeast mixture should become bubbly or frothy indicating it is active and alive. If it doesn’t turn frothy by then, the yeast is inactive and cannot be used for the dough. In this case discard and start afresh with luke warm water, sugar and yeast.
• ▢ When the water turns frothy, add flour, salt and oil. Next mix and make a soft dough adding more water if needed.
• ▢ Knead the dough very well until soft & elastic for about 5 to 6 mins.
• ▢ To check if it is done, poke it with your finger. It should dent easily and bounce back slowly. This is an indication of the dough being ready.
• ▢ Apply a thin layer of oil to the bowl and the dough as well. Keep covered with a moist cloth or a lid.

Proofing pizza dough

• ▢ Let it rise at room temperature until it doubles or triples. An ideal temperature for rising dough is 26C (80 F) to 32C (90 F). Depending on the temperature it will take any where from 1 to 4 hours to rise.
• ▢ High temperatures will kill the yeast so be cautious. Let it rise slowly for longer so it develops a good flavor. During winters, you may proof it in your instant pot on the yogurt settings (LOW).

Prepare pizza sauce

• ▢ Puree or chop tomatoes finely. To make sauce, heat oil in a pan and saute garlic until it smells good. Then add red chili flakes & mix.
• ▢ Add tomatoes, salt and sugar. Stir and continue to cook covering partially as it splatters a lot.
• ▢ Cook until the sauce thickens and is of spreading consistency (but not runny). Add herbs and crushed pepper.
• ▢ Mix and taste the sauce. You may add more salt, herbs and pepper to suit your taste buds. Set this aside to cool.
• ▢ Bring your choice of veggies to room temperature. Avoid using cold veggies from the refrigerator as they let out moisture on the pizza making it soggy.
• ▢ Rinse and slice or cube the veggies. Separate the layers of onions. Avoid chopping them too small or too large.
• ▢ If using bottled olives drain them to a small strainer. Grate or cube the cheese and set aside.
• ▢ When the dough rises well, punch it a few times to deflate and remove air bubbles.
• ▢ Transfer the dough to the work area. Divide to 2 to 3 portions depending on the size you prefer.
• ▢ Knead it a bit and gently shape it to round balls. If the dough is too sticky then sprinkle some flour & knead. After this step you may make the pizza or cover the bowl with a cling wrap and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
• ▢ When you are ready to make the pizza, preheat the oven to the highest temperature, 220 to 240 C or 470F for at least 25 to 30 mins. Place a baking tray or a cast iron pan in the middle rack and heat it as well in the oven.
• ▢ Sprinkle some cornmeal over the pizza tray. Place the pizza dough over the tray and flatten it slightly.
• ▢ Add few drops of oil on the dough. Begin to spread and stretch the dough on the tray with your fingers. Flatten to a 9 inch thin even base. Keep the edges slightly thicker than the center. (with this recipe you can make three 9 inch thin crust pizzas or one 14 inch thin crust.)
• ▢ Spread the pizza sauce as desired, leaving about ¼ inch on the edges. Layer the grated cheese and then the veggies. Lastly sprinkle Italian herbs and red chili flakes. To finish off top with more cheese if desired avoiding over the veggies.
• ▢ Place the pizza tray right over the hot baking tray or cast iron pan in your oven. Bake for 10 to 12 mins or until the pizza base becomes crisp, golden and cheese turns slightly golden.
• ▢ If your cheese doesn’t turn golden, you can move it to the top rack and bake for another 1 to 2 mins. Slice and serve pizza hot or warm.

To make thick crust

• ▢ To make a thick crust pizza, spread the dough to a slightly thicker base (⅛ inch) with your hands so the sides are thicker than the middle.
• ▢ Prick the base with a fork 8 to 9 times randomly so the base doesn't puff like bread.
• ▢ If making a thick base & you own a small oven, then put the base in the oven without the sauce and toppings. Bake it for 5 to 7 mins. Later top with sauce, cheese, veggies and herbs.
• ▢ Bake this for about 8 to 10 mins.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video of veg pizza recipe

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

© Swasthi’s Recipes

This Pizza recipe was first published in OCT, 2015. Republished in November 2020 with detailed instructions and better pictures.

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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So glad to know Jyothi. Thank you so much for sharing back.

Thank you Muneera

Glad to know Medha! Thanks for sharing how it turned out for you.

Thank you Paras

It’s very helpfull recipes. Your recipes has done lots me help.

Glad to know! Thank you

Hi Lalitha, Yes try cooking it a little longer. If possible rise the temperature of your oven. The higher the better, if not then increase the first bake time (before you add the toppings). Hope this helps.

When you say fine quality whole-wheat flour, do you refer to the consistency of the flour which should be sifted several times or to the quality of the flour?

I mean fine ground flour

The quantity of water to use depends on the flour. Yes you have to heat both the rods.

Hi Adithya, According to your previous comment on another post your yeast is expired. If so that is the reason. If the pizza dough did not double, it means the yeast did not work. In case if the dough doubled and still your pizza is dry, it has something to do with low hydration/ moisture levels in the dough. Try with more water. If this doesn’t work, your oven settings may be the problem. The oven has to be very hot and at high temperature. Baking at lower temperatures or baking with the fan ON, can dry out the pizza.

What will be the baking time and temperature in microwave convection and for how much time we need to preheat the oven?

Awesome recipes Swasthi! I want to try out the Low yeast dough and seems so interesting to me as we don’t like much yeast in our foods. Thanks to google for driving me here

Hope you like it Nadia 🙂

Your recipes are so well written and reliable .. The pizza was wonderful, I’ll think twice before buying pizza now. I’m hooked on to trying new recipes. Thank you..

Hi swasthi,

When u don’t mention baking temperature does it mean it is same as the pre heating temperature?

Hi Seema Yes it is the same. If there is a change I mention it.

Glad to know Seema Thank you!

How to make pizza

Learn how to make the perfect pizza dough for a deliciously crisp homemade pizza margherita that you can top with whatever you like. Just follow our easy guide.

For the perfect homemade pizza:

• Preheat oven and a baking sheet to 240C/fan 220C.
• Mix strong bread flour, salt and instant yeast together in a large bowl. Quickly stir in warm water and olive oil and bring together to a rough dough.
• Tip out the mixture onto a lightly floured worksurface and knead for 5 mins until you have a smooth, springy dough.
• Roll out into thin rounds (you may have to stretch it with your hands a little) about 25cm across and place on floured baking sheets.
• Add your favourite toppings (such as tomato passata, mozzarella, vegetables or cured meats), place the floured sheet on top of the preheated sheet and bake for 8-10 mins until the pizza is crisp.

See the full recipe for our easy pizza margherita .

For more on pizza, read our round-up of the best pizza ovens and browse our pizza recipe collection for more inspiration.

HOW TO MAKE PIZZA

Discover some tried-and-tested picks of the best pizza accessories along with some of the best pizza ovens below.

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Pizza Making Course in Italy

How is the real italian pizza? Learn the secrets of this ancient Culinary Art with a Professional Course that turns you into a real Professional Expert.  This study program has been designed in ISO Quality standard 21001 to convey all the real secrets of Italian pizza. It is not just a course of recipes, it's not a pizza cooking class, but a full immersion in the key concepts that have made Italian pizza the most famous and consumed food in the world .

WATCH THE COURSE PRESENTATION VIDEO

An Italian Pizza Artisan, certified as an expert in the realization of pizza and breadmaking in agreement with italian tradition and culture, able to work profitably in any pizzeria or bakery.

2 WEEKS IN FULL TIME MODE TO ACQUIRE NEW SKILLS

The Pizza Making Cours is a Professional Master open to all pizza lovers: experience is welcome but not required , only passion and desire to learn.

A very intense and concentrated study program in our Culinary Art School. You will receive the same teachings that are given to Italian people who want become pizzaiolo (pizza chef) : theory and  many professional practice on every single item you will study, with an innovative teaching method studied according to the European Quality Standard on training ISO 21001 . Learn real Italian Cooking 100%.

Location : Florence 

In cities like Florence this is not just a cooking course but also a cooking vacation . Tuscany are the Italian culinary Capitals of food. Your days will be full of taste.

Next date available

19 February 2024 7 places left

OUR SCHOOL IN FLORENCE

The school is equipped with professional laboratories, the same ones used by Italian students for professional training courses. It is a few steps from the tramway which takes you to the center of Florence and the airport in a few minutes.

Click here to see the location on Google Map.

Become a real italian Pizza-and-BreadMaking-Chef Certified

You will make a complete professional path that starts from the fundamental bases of Italian cuisine.

You will be followed by an Italian Pizza Master and Bread Making awarded nationwide. You will learn step by step to create pizza 100% Italian and create dishes of high aesthetic level and exceptional taste.

The Master is internationally recognized and the international tourist villages of the major Italian tour operators are always looking for a professional Pizza Chef. When you have obtained the certification, you will also be able to "instantly" access the job offers of the international agencies affiliated with the Academy. 

Students of every age from over the world

3 advantages of the Pizza Making Course in Italy

Only the real italian culinary art.

The school promotes only 100% Italian cooking methods . Original recipes, the right ingredients and all the secrets revealed. No useless data correspond to any added time and maximize results .

74 hours of training

You will be guided by an award winning Italian Chef , he will follows you on a 2 weeks journey through a certified program . You will learn step by step from a great master.

Practical and Multimedia Education

The formats has equipped with  innovative audio-visual material  that helps the student to orientate during the lesson  step by step . Every step of the theory is done many times in practice .

About the Master of Pizza Course in Italy

Location: Florence or Bologna   Duration: 2 weeks,  lessons mon-fri, 7,5 h a day (weekend is free time)  Class Time:  9:30-17:00   Language: english  Capacity: max 20 persons  Teachers: Italian pizza chefs awarded nationwide  Certification: Master's Certificate of  "Expert of Italian Pizza and Breadmaking" Fee: 2.000 euro

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN AND PRACTICE IN THIS COURSE

The Pizza Making Course in a few words : history and secrets of professional pizza and bread, in-depth knowledge and exercise on flour, Neapolitan dough, Tuscan dough, veracius dough, pre-mixes, instant and long leavening, yeast and sourdough, bread making, pizza in a pan, pizza with shovel, time management, tenchiche for spreading, topping, techniques advanced cooking, marketing and food cost. 

EXCLUSIVE : you will receive training in an new pre-dough technique called "Spumosa Accademica", it produces a perfectly matured dough in a short time.

A gradient learning with perfect mix of theory and practice: you will learn knowledge and practice gradually, addressing various topics and practices several times and from different points of view.

THE PIZZA MAKING COURSE - STUDY PROGRAMS DAY BY DAY

Morning Lesson # 1: The secrets of Italian bakery, the point of view of the professional pizza maker, yeasts and sourdough, knowledge and practice on the dough, production of different types of bread.

Afternoon Lesson # 2 : flour in bread making, nutritional structure and refining, the different flours on the market and their use, kneading techniques. Making of dough and different types of bread.

Morning Lesson # 3: Italian pan pizza, the secrets of the maturation of the dough, marketing of pizza in the pan, roll out and topping techniques, implementation of the entire process.

Afternoon Lesson # 4: Tuscan dough for round pizza, mix of flours for specific consistency, use of fats in doughs, classic pizza sauce, realization of the whole process for Tuscan pizza.

Morning Lesson # 5: Neapolitan dough for round pizza, double leavening techniques, application of maturation techniques, pizza roll out techniques, realization of the entire procedure for Neapolitan pizza.

Afternoon Lesson # 6: The veracius dough for round pizza, use of wholemeal flour in pizza and their secrets of application, how to get the ideal period for service, techniques of forcing of leavening, realization of the whole procedure for veracius pizza.

Morning Lesson # 7 : Quick dough and long leavening dough, how to always be ready for service. Deepening of the Tuscan dough, the whole procedure is performed by hand, from the dough to the cooking.

Afternoon Lesson # 8: Italian pizza toppings, knowledge of the oven and use for custom-made cooking, in-depth analysis of the Neapolitan dough, all the procedure is done by hand from the dough to the cooking.

Morning Lesson # 9: Pre-kneading techniques, study of polish and biga, autolysis technique, deepening of the veracius dough, the whole procedure is performed by hand from dough to cooking.

Afternoon Lesson # 10: Gourmet pizza, distinctive features, marketing and food cost of gourmet pizza, study and creation of dough for gourmet pizza, study of ingredients, realization of the whole process and different models of gourmet pizza.

Morning Lesson # 11: Rising with slow maturation and its positive effects on taste and digestibility and its application on bread. Food cost and bread marketing. Creation of different types of breads.

Afternoon Lesson # 12: Baking for stuffed products, stuffed buns, gourmet sandwiches, stuffed pizza. Realization of the whole process for baking and filling.

Morning Lesson # 13 : Roman-style pizza in a pan, analysis and production of the entire pizza pan process. The pizzeria “by the slide”, the advantages and the ideal business plan.

Afternoon Lesson # 14: The shovel pizza with Tuscan dough, speed up production, study and make doughs with long maturation and leavening.

Morning Lesson # 15: Shovel Pizza with a Neapolitan dough, application of autolysis techniques and exclusive techniques of “Spumosa Accademica” dough, study and realization of classic Neapolitan condiments.

Afternoon Lesson # 16: Yeasts for pizza, relationship and use of various types of yeast, pizza with a veracius dough and an in-depth look at wholemeal flour, the whole process is carried out.

Morning Lesson # 17: Study of liquid balance in the Tuscan dough, exercises to acquire “Speed” on the Tuscan dough by hand. Oven temperatures and cooking on the Tuscan dough to be truly productive during customer service hours.

Afternoon Lesson # 18: The speeding up of the Neapolitan dough with pre-mix and autolysis techniques, exercises for speeding up procedures, advanced technique of “Spumosa Academica”, mix and comparison of production times. Realization of the whole process.

Morning Lesson # 19: The “variation” on the veracius dough with the use of other types of flour, the study of the additives to the dough, an exercise on the speed of roll out the round pizza. Realization of the whole procedure for veracius pizza.

Afternoon Lesson # 20: Menu and economy combined with Gourmet pizza. Design and production of condiments for a 5-star gourmet pizza. Realization of the whole procedure for different types of gourmet pizza.

The participation fee includes: Teaching with a professional translator in English language for 74 hours of courses. Internal Tutoring. Raw materials used in class. Professional equipment that is used during the lessons. Professional jacket and hat with “Accademia Italiana Chef” logo. Professional training manual in English language. Certificate issue "Expert in Italian Pizza and Baking" in english language. All consumption within the academic lessons. The participation fee is € 2000  

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Mon. - frie. 09AM - 08PM (Italian time zone UTC +2)

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Your Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Pizzaiolo

Do you love making pizza? Are you passionate about 00 flour and fresh tomato sauce ? Do you have strong opinions about pineapple on pizza or anchovies and know the importance of buffalo mozzarella? Then you should consider taking a course and becoming a professional pizzaiolo. 

Or maybe you are an amateur pizza maker that is fascinated by fermentation and the science of yeast. Or you are a home chef that knows the difference between biga and poolish.

Whether you are an aspiring professional or simply an amateur pizza maker, perfecting your pizza by taking culinary courses can help you learn more about the art of making pizza and take your skillset to the next level.

What is a Pizzaiolo?

If you’ve ever wondered whats a pizza chef called, Pizzaiolo (or pizzaioli ) is an Italian term that literally means pizza chef. Traditionally it referred to a pizza chef trained in specifically in Neapolitan-style pizza. Neapolitan style pizza is pizza that is cooked on an extremely hot wood-fired oven in around 90 seconds.

It is charred on the edges and wet, almost soupy in the middle. A Neapolitan pizza is served uncut and is the size of a frisbee. They are considered single serving pizzas and are not meant to be sliced or shared.

These days, the term “pizzaiolo” can be used for any trained and certified pizza chef in any pizza making style .  A pizzaiolo is someone who dedicates themselves to learning the craft of pizza making. A true pizzaiolo understands the process of making dough. They know exactly the type of yeast to use to get the results they want. A true pizzaiolo is passionate about produce.

They use the best tomatoes available and know which flavors complement others to bring out the best in both. A dedicated pizzaiolo understands the science behind cheese making and will often make their own cheeses or be close to a cheesemaker. 

In Naples, the home of the very first pizza, a pizzaiolo is considered an artist, a creative soul that uses the pizza as their canvas. They are often referred to as craftsmen who build a flavor profile and know how to structure a pizza. We can’t agree more!

So just saying a pizzaiolo is a pizza maker seems a little light on the meaning when they are truly so much more.

Top restaurants hire them to make sure they have the most experienced and knowledgeable pizza makers. And wood-fired brick pizza ovens mean very little if they don’t have a trained professional to use them, right?

How to Become a Pizzaiolo

Luckily, anyone passionate about pizza can become a pizzaiolo! You do not need to be a chef or even have Italian heritage to become certified. However, many aspiring chefs come from a culinary background. Many experienced bakers will make the leap from bread to pizza. 

There are courses available and pizza schools worldwide where you can learn to make pizza the right way. Some courses are for home chefs that want to make pizza as a hobby. Other schools focus more on professional training to prepare a person to run a small kitchen or pizzeria.

If you want to learn the trade and art of pizza making and are lucky enough to know the right person, you can learn as an apprentice. However, most professionals won’t take on an apprentice that hasn’t had at least some training. 

While a formal certificate or training is not required, it can be a helpful step to learn the basics and decide if pursuing this dream is indeed what you want to do.

How to Get Officially Neapolitan-Certified

There are a few different types of certification to become a professional maker of pizzas. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) is the only place that can certify a true Neapolitan pizza chef. They can teach you how to make a Neapolitan pizza using approved ingredients and methods. They offer courses and certifications which are internationally recognized.

The AVPN was created to protect the reputation and integrity of Neapolitan pizza makers around the world. They offer certifications for individuals and for pizzerias that meet their high standards and can provide proof of their Neapolitan pizza status.

The AVPN has training courses that are for both professional and amateur homemade chefs. The training is 60 hours over nine days. The course is divided into 14 hours of theory and 46 hours of practicum in the kitchen. If making it all the way to Italy is not an option, they also offer online courses for amateur learners. 

Why Get a Pizza Certification?

If you want to take your Neopolitan pizza skills to the next level and pursue a pizza-making career, then certification is a great start. Certification will ensure you have the training and technical know-how. Depending on the certification course, most have an internship and hours of practicum included. 

Suppose you are interested in the pizza-maker knowledge but not concerned about having a Neopolitan certification. In that case, there are a lot of culinary schools and cooking classes that offer their students the opportunity to study pizza making.

What Types of Pizzaioli Training Courses Are There?

There are several different types of schools to learn pizza making skills. They vary from a few hours to several days. Some of the topics and themes for the classes are:

• Dough: Flour, yeast, waters, salts, fermentation, rising, maturation, and special food processors for dough .
• High-end Pizza Ovens : Electric, gas, and flavored wood , equipment for furnaces, safety regulations.
• Dough technique: Stretching, storing.
• Sourcing ingredients, like why you should only be using San Marzano tomatoes .
• Cheese making, mozzarella pulling .
• Drafting a pizza.
• Toppings and combinations .

Most classes have a theory component and then hands-on hours where you get your hands floured up and ready to knead, stretch, and prepare the dough and experiment with classic toppings.

Where to Study / How to Become Certified?

Here are a few pizza schools for professionals and amateurs that have a reputation for excellence. They offer official certifications that are for a mix of different pizza styles.

Tony Gemignani’s International School of Pizza In San Francisco, California

Famous pizza maker Tony Geminagni runs this excellent pizza school. They offer professional and amateur pizza classes. Anyone interested in a professional course must do a required phone interview before registering. The courses include a section on the house-made sausage and hand-pulled mozzarella .

Upcoming Courses:

• Neapolitan and Classic Italian Style Pizza Combo Course 5 Day Certification
• Home Chef courses 

North American Pizza and Culinary Academy Lisle, Illinois (outside of Chicago)

This fun pizza school offers professional and amateur classes. They even have kids workshops and host corporate team-building events. If you are looking for some exciting workshops and classes, they have you covered.

• Pizza Certification Class – 5 day Class
• 1 Day Class for the Amateur Baker
• 3 Day Class for the Experienced Home Pizza Maker

Pizza University Beltsville, Maryland

World-renowned Enzo Coccia leads this school’s classes and workshops. They offer courses on opening and running a pizzeria and becoming the best you can be. Pizza University also has a fun pizza workshop where teams compete a la Top Chef for creative pizza variations.

Upcoming Courses: 

• 3 Day Intensive Innovative Start Smart Class The Fundamentals of Opening and Operating a Pizzeria
• Traditional Neopolitan Techniques in Wood Fired Ovens

Accademia Pizzaioli with 9 locations throughout the U.S.

The school boasts 140 locations all over the world and nine in the U.S. They even have a few online options to learn more about the pizza-making process.

Upcoming Courses :

• Basic Pizza Maker 30 hours
• Specialized Courses for Professional Pizza Makers: Gluten Free Crust / Roman Style Pan Pizza and Pizza en Pala

Goodfellas Pizza School New York, New York

This popular pizzeria offers classes in all aspects of making da pizzas. They understand the importance of the three key components of pizza and have a specific class for each one dough, sauce, and cheese making. In addition, they offer specialty courses to help students understand the business side of operating a pizzeria.

This class focuses on food cost, inventory control, par sheets waste/quality control, and training. In addition, the class has gourmet sauce training for specialty pizza development. This course covers the fundamentals of the business and the management side. 

• Pizzaiolo Course with Certification 4 days
• Gourmet Breads Made Easy
• Cheese Making

We didn’t find any schools teaching about Detroit style , Minnesota style , or old school rectangle style . Maybe we should state some online courses? Let us know if you’d be interested!

Pizzaiolo Training In Italy

Accademia Italiana Chef    Florence,Italy

This traditional culinary school has two locations, one in Florence and one in Bologna. They offer pizza and pasta making courses for professionals and amateur chefs. The school works with several local hotels in both locations that provide discounts to students at the school.

• Master of Italian Pizza and Breadmaking with Certification 2 weeks

Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners   Costigliole d’Asti, Italy

Do you want to learn how to craft pizza in a castle? Of course you do. The school is located in a small town in Northern Italy between Turin and Genoa. The school offers an elite culinary experience. The campus has a tasting room and wine cellar and an olive oil cellar. There is a cheese cave and a ham andsalami cave in addition to a chocolate laboratory. It really offers the ultimate Italian foodie experience and it’s in a castle.

• Pizza Course with Certification 12 weeks (4 weeks theory&practice nine weeks internship)

Chef Silvio Cicchi Scuola di Pizza         Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Well-known Chef Silvio Cicchi teaches in-person and online pizza making courses. His in-person courses are in a small town in central Italy called Ascoli Piceno. The town has a deep-rooted history and with the13th-century Palazzo di Capitani del Popolo, a palace built on Roman ruins.

In this beautiful town, Chef Silvio teaches private one-on-one classes. He believes that individual learning is the only way to learn the art of pizza making. Chef Silvio goes over the theory and essentials of the dough, and then it’s time to get your hands working on the dough. 

• Pizzaiolo Course with Certification 5 days

Scuola di Pizzaiolo with Fabio Cristiano   Napoli, Italy

If you speak Italian and want to learn pizza making in the heart of the city that created the pizza, then this is the school for you. The school won the Best Pizza Training in 2021 in the Voce di Napoli awards. Fabio is a famous pizza chef with three different courses to train future pizza chefs. His course is 10 percent theory and 90 percent action! He claims 90 percent of his students find work immediately after completing the course.

• Professional Pizzaiolo 100 hour course with a Certification
• Accelerated Professional Pizzaiolo 50 hour course with a Certification

Choosing a pizzaiolo course will depend on your pizza making goals and, of course, time and money. Learning Italian cooking in Italy may not be available for everyone. Luckily many of the schools offer online courses.

What to Do With Your New Pizza Skills

After completing a program with a pizzaiolo certification, you will be able to pursue a career in the restaurant industry as a recognized pro. You’ll be able to work in pizzerias all over the world like Lilys in Boston or Boludo in Minneapolis .

Or, if you choose to open your own pizzeria, you will have the knowledge and skills to succeed. Please let us know and we’ll come to review it on our travels!

The next step for home chefs and amateurs is to get your equipment and set up a home kitchen with all the required tools to show off your new awesome pizza-making skills.

A good pizza oven is the most important  item you will need to impress your friends and family with your pizza skills. And, of course, a pizza stone , pizza peel , and pizza cutter will be the essentials to make quality pizzas at home.

Once you have a home pizza kitchen set up, you can share your pizza expertise with your friends. You can even give your own pizza making workshops and share the art of pizza making with others. Your future pizzaiolo certification and pizzaiolo training will highly pay off in the long run.

And if you don’t want to commit to a professional course, you can always listen to pizza podcasts to improve your skills in meal prepping homemade pizza inside the comfort of your home.

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Roccbox gozney portable outdoor pizza oven.

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Talia di Napoli

Buy authentic Neapolitan Pizzas and pizza toppings like prosciutto or salami delivered straight to your door from Italy. With their sustainable initiatives, all orders are completely carbon negative so no need to worry about environmental concerns. We highly recommend ordering from Talia di Napoli !

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DK & Eliana

Thanks for reading about our homemade pizza journey! We're a young married couple who started making pizza at home on our wedding night and haven't looked back yet. We've learned over countless attempts of trial and error how to make the perfect pizza sauce , pizza dough , and exactly which pizza accessories to buy for your home setup...

FYI When you make a purchase or, sometimes, carry out some other action as direct result of clicking on a link at Homemade Pizza School , we will receive a small commission. Gratzie!

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Upgrade your home/kitchen’s homemade pizza setup with authentic commercial pizzeria-style pizza dough proofing boxes. They hold all the dough you need for an awesome pizza night prep with friends and family. Size is 17.25 x 13 x 3.54 inches and fit perfectly in our home fridge…

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These cup & char pepperoni cups from Battistoni brand are by far our top seller here on the blog. They’re the single best topping we use on our own homemade pizzas (as we almost always use pepperoni) and probably order them monthly, at least. Want those lovely charred pep cups? Buy Battistoni.

Uncommon Favorite:

Grilled Personal Pizza Maker

By a large margin, this is the most affordable, albeit tiny, pizza “oven” on the market today. Sold at Uncommon Goods, this personal-sized pizza maker is perfect for children or picky eaters who only want their specific toppings. Note: only works with charcoal grills. Try it today!

• 12299 Champlin Dr #382, Champlin, MN 55316
• +1 763-515-2641
• [email protected]

Make Better Pizza at Home… Period. Here at Homemade Pizza School , we make creating better pizza from home a breeze. You’ll save time, save money, and feel great making your very own pizza!

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