This is the first time I'm posting not just a specific recipe but a "how to" in the specifics of easy pizza making. I just got into it at the beginning of the year and I am now here to confirm that making pizza yourself is not only better, but it will cost you substantially less money than buying pizza especially if you are a frequent pizza connoisseur such as myself.

-BASIC PIZZA DOUGH-

The "I Want Pizza Today" Method

What You'll Need:
-4 cups of bread flour (You can use all purpose, but high quality bread flour really makes a big difference in taste)
-1 and 1/3 cups warm water (WARM water, not boiling. Warm water helps activate the yeast)
-2 tsp salt
-1 tsp instant yeast (be sure to use instant, NOT active)
-2 tsp olive oil

Makes two 14 inch pizzas

Step 1:
Start by adding the warm water to a large bowl, add the yeast and give it a quick stir. No need to let it sit, active yeast is ready to go right away.

Step 2:
Next add the flour followed by the salt. Make sure the salt goes on top of the flour as salt directly making contact with the yeast can slow down fermentation. Now add the olive oil and gently stir to mix everything together. Mix until the flour is fully incorporated into a nice shaggy dough. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes. This will ensure that the water gets fully absorbed and makes it easier to knead.

Step 3:
After 10 minutes, place the dough onto a flat surface and begin to knead. The goal here isn't to overwork the dough, just bring it together into a smooth ball. Press down with the heel of your hand folding the dough over, give it a quick quarter turn and repeat. Do this for about 5 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Once your dough is smooth, place it into a lightly olive oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Let rise at room temperature for 90-120 minutes.

Step 4:
After the rise, your dough should be soft and airy. Gently press down on it to release any gas bubbles and cut the dough directly in half. Shape each doughball tucking the edges a little underneath giving it a little tension. Basically just round it into as smooth as a ball as you can. Let rest at room temperature for one more hour before making pizza. If it's going to be longer than an hour or you wanted to make that second pizza another time, seal in an oiled container in the fridge. Make sure it's a container with some breathing room as the yeast may cause the dough to rise some more.


The "I Want Pizza Tomorrow" Method
Took this method from "Binging with Babish" who does a great vid on pizza basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cqYiUmutGI

What You'll Need:
-4 cups of bread flour
-2 tsp of kosher salt
-1 quarter tsp of active yeast (Use active this time, NOT instant)
-1 and 1/2 cups room temperature water

Step 1:
Add all dry ingredients to a small bowl, gently whisk to combine. Then pour your water directly on top. Roughly combine with a wooden spoon into a shaggy dough, this should take only a few minutes. Once it barely comes together and no big flour clumps remain, cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let sit at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.

And that's it, that's all ya gotta do. This method requires no kneading, but the downside is that it takes a lot longer to prep. According to Babby, a slow overnight ferment makes for more flavorful pizza. Which I can confirm, but the previous method is equally as good.

-COMMON PIZZA UTENSILS-

This is just a list of items I feel every home should have for the the do it yourself pizza lovers:
-Pizza stone. They're not expensive at all. Picked one up at Target for $12. Ensures that the pizza is nice and crispy on the bottom. Also cooks faster.
-pizza cutter. It's crazy how much more difficult it is to cut through them with a basic knife. This will also ensure that you don't wreck the pizza stone.
-flat long metal spatula. Pizza stones work great, but the pizza loves to stick. A flat metal spatula will lift that sucker right up.
-Large wooden cutting board with a handle. This makes it easier to shape your pizza and then transfer it to the pizza stone directly into the oven.
-Plastic or rubber cleaning brushes. Very common mistake with the pizza stone that I made the first time is to clean it with soap and a sponge. DO NOT do this! Pizza stones absorb! Thus it will absorb the soap and make for a very nasty soap tasting pizza. Clean it with hot water and something hard but non-abrasive like a rubber brush.
-Other pizza stone mistakes; Do NOT place the pizza stone into a preheated oven! The rapid heat can cause it to shatter. Instead, place the stone inside of the oven right before preheating. Do NOT use the bumpy side of the pizza stone, use the flat side. I for whatever reason used the bumpy side which goes on the bottom and it made for terrible sticking to the stone.

-PIZZA PREPERATION-

For starters, preheat your oven with the pizza stone inside at 500 degrees. Pizza cooks real hot!

if your dough has been resting in the fridge, make sure to take it out and sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Working with cold dough is a lot more difficult. Next, lightly flour your handled cutting board and use your fingers to press the dough outward from the center, table stretch for a little bit then let gravity do the work as you form it into a perfect circle. Well... as perfect as you can get it anyway.

If you desire thin crust, I actually recommend using a rolling pin which most people online will tell you is a pizza no no. But this so far has been the best method for a flat and crispy crust.

Top however you like with sauce, followed by grated cheese, and toppings. Be sure not to overload the pizza with too much. The perfect pizza is all about balance. A few spoonfuls of sauce, 3 at most, evenly distributed all around, followed by a generous sprinkle of cheese. Use as few toppings as you can, as the more toppings added, the less the pizza will cook evenly and not get that perfect melty cheese.

Transfer the uncooked pizza from the handled cutting board to the pizza stone either directly into the oven if you're brave enough, or by removing the stone real quick up onto the stovetop for an easier transfer. If your cutting board has been floured just right, it should easily slide off onto the stone. This can be really tricky, especially for first timers so give the pizza on the cutting board a shake test. If the pizza easily scoots around then you are good. If it doesn't, keep sliding a bit of flour underneath the dough until it does. Bake in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is all bubbly and the crust has turned a nice golden brown. If you're making thin crust this should only take 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and make sure to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. Cut it too quick and it'll want to fall apart.

-TOPPING SUGGESTIONS-

Sauces: Classic marinara will always be the standard, but I also love pesto which goes great with any veggie pizza. Premade pasta sauce in the glass jars are cheap, but extremely effective. Experiment with what you can find. Anything with garlic, onion, or basil is going to be great.
Cheese: Mozzarella is mandatory, but provolone works great too. Experiment with as many white low-moisture cheeses as you can, but above all else! ONLY use blocks of cheese that you need to grate yourself. Pre-grated cheese is loaded with cornstarch and won't melt properly. I know grating cheese yourself is less than ideal, but it will make all the difference in taste and texture.
Pepperoni: Try to always spring for the more pricy thick cut pepperoni. Or just buy a sausage roll of it to cut it yourself to your preferred size.
mushrooms: Fresh garden mushrooms that have already been sliced go great on pizza acting as little grease sponges. Try to avoid canned mushroom since canned mushrooms are full of water and can make the pizza soggy.
Black olives: Exact opposite of mushrooms. Go for the canned kind, and if you're trying to get the most for your buck, buy the chopped mushrooms as they pack the can as full as they can with them. They look less aesthetically pleasing then the olive coins, but still very tasty.
Deli meats: If you've ever purchased a charcuterie meat kit, then all of those pre-sliced meats go great on pizza.
pineapple: I've always hated pineapple on pizza even before it was cool, but if that's how you roll, be sure to drain to pineapple first and let it dry out a bit as pineapple is one of the soggiest things you can possible add.
MANDATORY FINAL TOPPING: Even if it is in the sauce, ALWAYS top your pizza with dried oregano. Dried oregano not only gives it that nice pop of green, but will also give it that little mom n pop pizza shop taste.

This took hours to type and it's all I can think of for now. Happy pizza making everyone!