What You Need to Make Pizza

It’s such a huge step you are taking to skip that pizza delivery and try making one from scratch at the comfort of your home. I have to tell you that nothing beats a homemade pizza since you have the freedom to add your own choice of toppings.

However, adding your favorite toppings doesn’t guarantee that you will end up with the tastiest pizza. You will need certain utensils and ingredients to bring out that perfect pie. If this is your first time trying the recipe, I understand how confusing it might be to understand what you will need.

The good news is, this article got you covered. It entails a guide of all you will be needing to begin your pizza baking journey.

Pizza Making Equipment and Accessories

Pizza Peal:

Pizza Pans:

Pizza Stone:

Pizza Cutter:

Pizza Oven:

All you need to make pizza

A perfect and tasty pizza will need thoroughness right from the tools, ingredients, and utensils you will be using. So let us start by understanding what will be needed in dough and sauce preparation.

For your dough and sauce

Making pizza is quite easy. Here is what you will require:

• All-purpose flour

Good flour gives your pizza a good crust, which is the foundation of that perfect pie. High-quality flour, rich in proteins, is good to go. A good example is the organic all-purpose flour, which is unbleached and unbromated, making its’ wheat taste rich.

• Active dry yeast

The yeast is responsible for raising the flour.

• Mixer

A mixer helps you knead your pizza dough. You can also knead the flour by hand on a work surface, but I prefer the mixer because it gives an even and well-kneaded dough. The mixer also comes in handy when mixing your pizza sauce.

• Bench scraper

I use the bench scraper in measuring and smashing. It’s also perfect for cutting even-sized pieces of dough and even scrapping off bits of flour stuck on the cutting board.

• Mixing bowl

A glass or metal mixing bowl is used in preparing and proving your pizza dough.

• Pizza peel

Pizza peels enable you to place the pizza into the oven without it sticking onto surfaces and retrieving it from the oven without risking burns. It is advisable to invest in both a wooden and a metal peel.

A wooden pizza peel is the best to use when placing the pizza into the oven because dough rarely sticks onto it, which isn’t the case with their metal counterparts.

When it comes to retrieving the pizza from the oven, I use the metal pizza peel because it is heat resistant. You wouldn’t want to risk burn marks on your wooden peel.

• Kitchen scale

Kitchen scales help you get the perfect measurements for the pizza recipe.

• Pizza stone

Pizzas are placed on the pizza stone in the oven when baking. The Pizza stone should first be preheated in the oven, so the heat transfers to your pizza base to get that crunchy crust.

• Dough Docker

A dough docker eliminates all air bubbles from the dough. To get rid of the air bubbles, roll the dough docker over the pizza dough.

• Dough trays

After kneading your dough together, it will need a place to rest and rise. It is necessary to have one in your space.

• Pizza dough roller

The dough roller helps you spread your dough into the desired pizza shape.

• Grater

Pizza cheese is great when grated. Use the grater to finely grate the cheese.

• Ladle

The ladle will scoop and pour the sauce onto the pizza dough.

• Slicer

The slicer helps you slice thin slices of your toppings like onions, peppers, and meatballs.

For pizza making

Here is what you need to make pizzas:

• Pizza screens

These are metal plates with small holes that allow moisture from pizza to escape easily. It can be used to slide the pizza in the oven or even hold and transport the pizza. It is also used when your pizza is almost ready. Place your pizza on it, so it bakes evenly without getting soggy.

• Pizza cutter

Having a pizza cutter will ensure you make perfect slices on your pizza. It’s really necessary to invest in one, so your pizza has well-cut wedges.

• Pizza pans

You will require a surface to place your pizza on when serving it, and that’s where a pizza pan comes in. It helps you serve that pizza to your guests easily.

• Plastic squeeze bottles

Pouring oil onto your pizza from a plastic squeeze bottle ensures that an even layer is spread onto the pizza. The oil boosts the pizzas’ flavor to new levels.

• Pizza oven

This is the most important item that cannot be forgotten in the pizza-making world. Just ensure you have one that meets your baking needs.

Other things you might need include:

• Pizza box

If you are delivering that pizza to another address, you will need pizza boxes for easier transportation.

• Pizza racks

If you are holding several guests, you will definitely be making more than one pizza. As some pizzas bake in the oven, you can let the uncooked ones’ rest on a pizza rack.

• Aprons

An apron will be necessary to protect your clothes when baking.

• Pizza delivery bags

Pizza delivery bags retain your pizzas heat during transportation. Let your customers enjoy some hot pizza, and you will always receive more deliveries.

Recipe for making pizza

There can be no pizza without the recipe! This is a recipe for 2 pizzas.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 490g all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 11/2 cups warm water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

For the toppings

• Cheese of your choice
• Pureed tomato paste
• Finely sliced pepperoni
• Fresh basil leaves- chopped
• Thinly sliced onions-raw or caramelized
• Olive oil
• Cooked and crumbled sausage

Directions

1. The first step should be proofing your yeast. Add some warm water to the bowl of the mixer and sprinkle the yeast into it. Leave it to sit for 5 minutes until it dissolves completely.
2. Next is preparing the dough. Add your flour, sugar, salt, and oil into the mixers paddle attachment. Let it mix at low speed for few minutes, then attach the hook and let it knead for up to 10 minutes till the dough is evenly mixed.

You can choose to knead the dough by hand on a working surface. Ensure that the flour doesn’t stick onto the surface. If it does, then sprinkle some flour till the wetness clears.

1. Place your dough in an oiled bowl and leave it to rise. Cover the dough with an aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm place for 11/2 hours.
2. Preheat your oven at 4750 for 30 minutes. Ensure that the pizza stone is in the oven.
3. Form balls for your pizza and place them in a bowl. Leave them to sit for 1 hour.
4. As the dough gets ready, you can be preparing your pizza toppings. Let the toppings be minimal to attain a well-crusted pizza.
5. Place the dough balls on a flat working surface and roll them till you achieve the perfect pie diameter. Make the edges thicker with the help of your fingers.
6. Apply some oil onto the pizza dough and leave it to sit for 10 minutes. Repeat the same with the other balls of dough.
7. Sprinkle some cornmeal onto your pizza peel, then place the pizza onto it.
8. Spread the sauce and add the other toppings.
9. Slide the pizza into the oven with the pizza peel, careful enough to mot mess the pizza.
10. Bake the pizza at 4750 in the oven and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
11. Once it is ready, get it out of the oven and enjoy!

Conclusion

With this guide, I hope the journey to being a pro in pizza making will be much easier. Just ensure you have the right utensils, ingredients, and the will to make that perfect pizza!

All the best!