Making your own homemade Pizza can be a lot of fun and is a great way to get the whole family involved in making dinner.  There seem to be as many types of Pizzas (thin crust, deep dish, etc) as there are toppings to put on the Pie. Thin crust is my favorite, so we will start there.  My pizza Recipe is a combination of bits and pieces I have put together over the years, and it can and should be personalized as I have done.  Making a pizza at home can soon become a family tradition, with pizza night soon being a fun event for the whole family. 

But first a little history. Making Pizza Pie, in one form or another, has been around since ancient times. In the Northern Mediterranean region where its common ingredients, flour, olive oil, cheese and tomatoes, have been staples of the common man, what we know today as pizza pie was born as a flat bread covered with olive oil, cheese and herbs.  Of course there were many local variations on this recipe for making pizza in the ancient world, but the pizza we know today was thought to have been developed in Italy, and is known as the Neapolitan Pizza.  Even the Italian royalty got into the act, as a pizza pie made with crust topped with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese representing the red, green and white of the Italian flag was made and named for Queen Margherita in 1889.  The humble pizza has since found a place in the heart (and stomach) of peoples all over the world, and can be found almost anywhere one travels today. 

Fresh ingredients are essential in making a great pizza pie, but the preparation is fairly straight forward. The three main parts of the pizza pie are the crust, in its many forms, the sauce, that gives the rich tomato base to the flavor of the pizza pie, and the topping, which determine the personality pizza pie.  The method used to cook the pizza pie is also a determining factor in its greatness.

A Thin Crust Pizza Pie

There are slight variations to this recipe, but this is the one I prefer, and is found in “The Silver Spoon”, the most awesome Italian cookbook I have found.

Impasto per la Pizza (Pizza dough)

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (pastry flour may be used for a slightly crisper crust)

Plus a little extra flour for dusting

¾ teaspoon salt

½ ounces FRESH yeast

½ cup lukewarm water

Olive oil for brushing

Combine the flour and salt and sift it into a mound on large cutting board or counter and make a well in the center of the mound.  Incorporate the yeast into the warm water with a fork, and when the mixture is very smooth, and pour it into the well.  Using your fingers, mix into a soft dough.  Knead well until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Shape into a ball and cut an x into the top of the ball, place in a bowl and cover.  Let rise in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.  The dough is now ready to flatten into the Pizza crust.  There are many methods for this including tossing the dough after flattening to using a rolling pin or your hands to flatten.  The thinner you can get the crust, the crisper it will be.  The edge of the Pie should be thicker than the middle.  Recipes for other types of Pizza Dough can be found in "Simple Steps For Making Great Homemade Pizza Dough ". 

A professional at work.  Use your knuckles, not your fingers to stretch the dough.

Cheese and toppings.

After Baking 10 minutes, add the tomatoes.

Home Pizza Chef Legendary Pizza Recipes - Over 175 Pizza Delicious Recipes

Simple Steps For Making Great Homemade Pizza Dough Learn The Secrets Of Pizza Dough Made In The Comfort Of Your Own Home!

Perfect Cookbooks Cookbook And Recipe Site With Highly Specialized Cookbooks. Garlic, Ketchup, Pizzas And More.