Who doesn’t like pizza?
OK, they told us in journalism school to avoid opening articles with a question because if the reader says no, you’ve lost them.
Well, if you answered no to my question above, I have just one more question for you: What is wrong with you?
Everybody loves pizza. It’s an all-American food…oh, wait. I might be wrong about that. 
Whatever. This post is about pizza. Delicious pizza. Homemade pizza. Really homemade pizza. From the crust to the sauce. (Well, with one exception; I was having an un-Martha day.)
I love takeout pizza as much as the next person. It’s a good, hearty and quick meal that everyone in our family loves.
As much as I love the ease of making that 5 o’clock phone call to Domino’s or Papa John’s, sometimes I like to make my pizza from scratch. Because it’s better that way — and it’s cooked to order. And it’s fun to make. And my son absolutely loves making pizza. After his preschool field trip to CiCi’s, he’s a regular pizza gourmet and home economist. “Cheese is expense,” he told me, which explains why CiCi’s pizza tastes strangely like cardboard. They scrimp on the cheese.
But we don’t when we make it at home. We go overboard with the cheese. The cheesier the better. (Kinda like this post!)
See what I’m talking about? Cheesier than a bad pickup line!
I used Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe to make our rustic homemade pizzas, and it was definitely a keeper.
The recipe made enough dough for four small pizzas — about the size you get at California Pizza Kitchen. (You only see three pizzas in these photos because Jackson was “starving” at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. So, we made his cheddar cheesy pizza early and cooked it separately. And I forgot to take photos.)
I made three other pizzas:
- Rustic Caprese Pizza with Homemade Pesto Sauce
- Rustic Traditional with Sausage, Peppers and Olives
- Rustic Tomato, Mozzarella and Ricotta Pizza with a Tomato Pesto Sauce
Rustic Caprese Pizza with Basil Pesto Sauce |
| 1/4 Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe1/4 cup or more basil pesto (I use Ina Garten’s pesto recipe, but I omit the walnuts)
ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma, sliced Parmesan cheese Fresh mozzarella cheese Fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough and stretch to preferred thickness. Don’t worry about making a perfect circle; these pizzas are meant to be rustic. Transfer to a baking sheet, pizza stone or metal pizza pan. Spread a layer of basil pesto on the crust. No need to measure; just spread the sauce to taste. Slice fresh mozzarella cheese (found in your grocers’ deli section). Arrange mozzarella slices on top of dough. Top each mozzarella round with a tomato slice. Top each tomato slice with a fresh basil leaf. Sprinkle lightly with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted. |
The second pizza I made, the Rustic Traditional is a clean-out-your-fridge and use-your-leftovers pie.
Rustic Traditional Pizzawith Sausage, Peppers and Olives |
| 1/4 Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe1/4 cup or more tomato sauce (I used a jar of spaghetti sauce I had in the fridge)
1/4 lb. Italian sausage handful of Kalamata, pitted and sliced 1/4 cup sliced banana peppers Fresh Mozzarella cheese Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough and stretch to preferred thickness. Don’t worry about making a perfect circle; these pizzas are meant to be rustic. Transfer to a baking sheet, pizza stone or metal pizza pan. Brown sausage on stovetop and drain on paper towels. Spread a layer of tomato on the crust. No need to measure; just spread the sauce to taste. Sprinkle cooked sausage on pizza. Top with fresh mozzarella slices and shredded mozzarella. Add banana pepper and olive slices on top of the cheese layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted. |
Don’t these oozy, cheesy pizzas look good enough to eat?
This next pizza combines traditional pizza sauce flavors with the basil-garlic goodness of homemade pesto.
Look at those fresh ingredients!
Rustic Tomato, Mozzarella and Ricotta Pizza with a Tomato Pesto Sauce |
| 1/4 Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe1/8 cup or more basil pesto (I use Ina Garten’s pesto recipe, but I omit the walnuts)
1/8 cup or more tomato sauce (I used a jar of spaghetti sauce I had in the fridge) ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma, sliced 1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese Parmesan cheese, shredded 1 tsp. olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Shredded mozzarella cheese Fresh mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough and stretch to preferred thickness. Don’t worry about making a perfect circle; these pizzas are meant to be rustic. Transfer to a baking sheet, pizza stone or metal pizza pan. Mix equal parts pesto and tomato sauce. Spread the sauce on the crust. No need to measure; just spread the sauce to taste. Mix ricotta cheese with olive oil and 2 TBS of shredded mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dollop ricotta cheese mixture onto the pizza. Sprinkle pizza with shredded mozzarella and fresh mozzarella slices, if preferred. Top pizza with tomato slices. Sprinkle lightly with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted. |
As you can see from my photos, I cooked my pizzas on a pizza stone and a metal baking sheet. I preferred the pizzas cooked on the metal baking sheet. The crusts were crisper.
Now, I’m sure you want to know my favorite. Well, we conducted extensive taste tests at dinner — and then did another round just to be sure. And the consensus was this: we couldn’t decide.
The pesto was very very good, but so was that tomato, mozzarella and ricotta one, even with the not-so-crisp crust. And who can resist a traditional sausage pizza?
Not I, said this Atta Girl. So I didn’t!
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