This is a question I no longer ask my kids: What do you want for dinner? I already know the answer. Homemade cheese pizza! There is literally nothing better for them in the whole wide world of home-cooked meals. And they love to make it with me too, so it’s a great way to make cooking it a family affair.
We enjoy being in the kitchen together. They love to spread the sauce and add the shredded cheese on top.
Speaking about cheese, I have found the best cheese for homemade pizza is a combination of shredded low-moisture mozzarella and shredded fresh mozzarella! Give it a try.
How To Make Cheese Pizza?
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, place the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let the yeast activate or “bloom” for about 5-10 minutes until bubbly.
- Using the hook attachment, mix one cup of flour into the yeast mixture. Add the second cup of flour slowly until a soft dough forms. Be careful because you may need less than the full cup. This depends on the type of flour you use or even the humidity in the air. So go slowly. You may even need a bit more.
- Once the dough is formed, add the olive oil to the bowl and swirl it around so that the whole ball of dough is covered with oil. Drape a damp cloth over the bowl and let the dough rest for about 40 mins in a dry place.
- When the dough has rested for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 450 F.
- In a small bowl, mix the tomato pure, tomato paste, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, salt, and pepper to make the sauce.
- Once the dough has risen for 40 mins, take it out of the bowl, and using your hands, press it into the pizza baking sheet, being careful to leave a border of dough all around.
- Spread the sauce over the entire dough, except the border.
- Sprinkle the cheeses evenly on top and bake for 20-30 mins or until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.
What To Serve with Cheese Pizza?
Caesar salad and red wine are perfect side dishes for pizza, but if you are serving it to kids, lemonade, salad, and ice cream Sundays will do the trick! That is all you need for a great pizza dinner.
Cooking Tip
- Do not buy pre-shredded mozzarella cheese, please! It has added ingredients that prevent it from sticking, and it doesn’t melt as good as freshly shredded cheese does.
- Be careful not to add hot water to the yeast, or you might kill it. Remember, yeast is alive, and it can only tolerate lukewarm water.
- Let the pizza stand for 5 minutes before cutting it to let the cheese settle. Fresh mozzarella is high in moisture and needs a bit of time to set.
If your kiddos love cheesy meals, you can find some here:
Homemade Pizza Recipe
What do you want for dinner? I already know the answer. Homemade cheese pizza!
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 3 ounces low moisture Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Let the yeast activate or “bloom” for about 5-10 mins until it is bubbly.
- With the hook attachment on, add 1 cup of flour and mix. Gradually add the second cup of flour until a soft dough forms. Go slowly. You might not need the whole cup.
- Add the olive oil to the bowl and swirl it around so that it covers the dough entirely. Place a damp towel on top of the bowl and let the dough rest in a dry place for about 40 mins. In a small bowl, mix the tomato puree, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, salt, and pepper. This will be your sauce. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
- When the 40 mins are up, take the dough out of the bowl and, using your hands, press it onto the pizza baking sheet, leaving a border all around.
- Spread the sauce over the pizza dough evenly
- Sprinkle both kinds of cheese on top of the sauce evenly and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 5gCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 9g
