Homemade Pizza Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

Homemade Pizza Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

There’s a strange thing that happens when people get interested in making pizza.

They start reading about 72-hour fermentation schedules, imported Italian flour, hydration percentages, and $1,000 pizza ovens. Before long, it feels like making great pizza at home requires a degree in food science and a second mortgage.

It doesn’t.

My dad grew up in New York, and pizza was always a big deal in our family. Even growing up in Southern California, Sunday night pizza was something we looked forward to every week. Today, my own family carries on that tradition with Pizza Sundays, and one thing I’ve learned over the years is that great pizza isn’t about perfection—it’s about making pizza.

You don’t need an Ooni.

You don’t need 00 flour.

You don’t need a stand mixer.

You don’t even need a pizza stone.

If you keep some yeast in the pantry, you can make pizza almost anytime.

Regular all-purpose flour works.

Bread flour works.

Canned tomatoes with a little salt make a fantastic sauce.

And if string cheese is all you’ve got, go for it. I’d recommend mozzarella if possible, but making pizza with what you have beats waiting for the “perfect” ingredients.

Your pizza doesn’t have to be round.

Nobody is grading you.

And honestly, some of the most memorable pizzas are the ones that come together with whatever happens to be in the fridge.

Keep These Simple Staples Around

I like keeping a few things on hand so pizza night is always an option:

That’s enough to make a surprisingly good pizza.

A Few Tools That Make Life Easier

You don’t need fancy equipment, but these inexpensive tools are worth having:

Instant Yeast

I always keep a packet or container of SAF Instant Yeast in the pantry. It lasts a long time and makes spontaneous pizza nights possible.

Instant Dry Yeast

Instant Yeast Packets

Digital Kitchen Scale

A simple kitchen scale takes the guesswork out of dough and makes recipes far more consistent.

Amazon Basics Digital Kitchen Scale

Mixing Bowl

Any large bowl works, but stainless steel bowls are inexpensive, durable, and useful for much more than pizza.

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set with Lids and Attachments

Bench Scraper

One of the cheapest and most useful tools you can own.

Amazon Basics Bench Scraper

Ready to Make Pizza Tonight?

Start here:

Same-Day Pizza Dough with All-Purpose Flour →
The Easiest Pizza Sauce You’ll Ever Make →
No Pizza Stone? No Problem →

Don’t wait until you have the perfect setup.

Just make pizza.

You’ll figure out the rest along the way.