My Secret Formula for Perfect Homemade Pizza

I've been trying out homemade pizza a few different ways lately, trying to see what the best/tastiest/easiest method would be. We tried it on the grill (HARD!), on an upside-down baking sheet (like a DIY Pizza stone) and on a pizza pan. I tried different recipes and different methods of stretching out the dough.

Ladies and gentlemen...I've discovered my secret formula!

1 Good pizza crust recipe

1 Non-stick pizza pan

Patience

Plenty of cheese and garlic.

I followed the recipe and the technique for stuffed crust pizza seen on this post and followed everything exactly.

I left my bread machine in the cabinet and mixed up the dough by hand, which was new for me. And I found out that it actually takes way less time the "pioneer" way! My bread machine has an automatic cycle for dough that runs the same length no matter what you're making. It takes about an hour and a half. This recipe only sat for 30 minutes or so (and I probably could have gone for only 15). It was also much MUCH easier to roll w/o it snapping back!

I bought a non-stick Calphalon pizza pan (T.J.Maxx. $10.) and sprayed it with cooking spray before pressing my dough into the pan. No rolling pin. No tossing. Just smooshing it into the pan. It snapped back a little, but not too much. I would always get super frustrated before when rolling out bread machine dough because it never stayed stretched to the size I wanted it. This one totally did AND I learned a new trick! If it starts snapping back on you, just walk away for a few minutes and come back. You'll be able to stretch it even more. I was able to stretch mine over the sides of my 16-inch pizza pan.

Then I folded the crust back over a line of mozzarella cheese. Sinful, I tell you.

I baked the pizza on the pan at 500 degrees for 12 minutes. I didn't try to grill one side, then flip it and spreadallthesaucereallysuperquickthencheesethentoppingsohcrapthebottomisalreadyburned before sullenly throwing it on the table and thanking Jesus we had salad to quench the charred taste. I didn't even have to preheat the oven with an upside-down baking sheet inside and then try to awkwardly transfer my pizza on a sheet of parchment paper onto its steaming hot surface (it took two of us to accomplish that). Just threw the pan in, waited 12 minutes, took the pan out.

The pizza. Was PERFECT. Look at this baby:

 

The bottom of the crust was not soggy: just perfectly brown and crisp as the top. Hubs and I ate the whole thing (minus one slice which will be tomorrow's breakfast). I'm in love!

I cannot get over how sexy that pizza looks.