Instead of a Cookie Swap: Easy DIY Pizza Party
Kana Okada
Baking up pizzas at home creates an instant party vibe, and it’s easier than you think. Follow the lead of Food Network Magazine to start a homemade pizza party tradition at your house today!
For the ultimate pie-making experience, you’ll need a couple tools to start with: a pizza stone, along with a pizza peel. The stone heats up in the oven while you're prepping and ensures a crisp crust, while the pizza peel helps transfer your sticky, sauced-and-topped disk of dough to the hot stone without mishap. Transferring the pizza on parchment paper is another easy option.
Most people would agree that the crust is the most important part of any pizza. Fanatics follow the lead of pizza guru Jeff Varasano, nurturing sourdough starters for tangy, New York-style crust. But for the rest of us, this easy dough from Food Network Magazine works great. Or, if you’re short on time, pick up pre-made dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket. You can even stop by a corner pizzeria and ask to buy a ball of dough, if you like.
When it comes to pizza toppings, fresher is always better and less is often more – you don’t want to bury your homemade crust under a mountain of toppings. Browse 50 pizza topping ideas from Food Network Magazine for inspiration.
Follow these instructions for forming the dough, saucing and topping, transferring the pizza to the oven and cooking to perfection. You'll have an instant party!
Variations on the pizza theme, for weeknight delights:
