Homemade Pizza

Do you know which country eats the most pizza per person? You might think it’s Italy—but surprise—it’s actually Norway! On average, Norwegians devour over 24 pounds (11 kilograms) of pizza each year. The United States comes in second, followed by other pizza-loving nations like Canada, Italy, France, and the U.K. Clearly, the world agrees on one thing: pizza is irresistible.

But here’s the thing—pizza bliss can quickly turn into a topping dilemma. You want your favorites, while everyone else has their own preferences, and then the restaurant menu limits your choices even more. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow, but other times, you deserve exactly what you’re craving.

That’s where this easy homemade pizza recipe comes in. It’s perfect for families, couples, or a group of friends—and it makes four 7-inch personal pizzas. Everyone can create their own flavor masterpiece.

Personally, I’ve always been a fan of spice. Some people I’ve dated preferred milder flavors (and I’d often be the one compromising), but this recipe is a game changer—spicy for me, mild for them. These mini pizzas are the ultimate peacekeeping tool. I like to think I’m saving relationships one pizza at a time.

Below, I’ve added a few helpful tips. If it’s your first time making pizza from scratch, the process might seem intimidating at first—but once you get the hang of it, it’s truly fun. Before long, you’ll have extra dough balls in the fridge ready for your next craving.

This recipe originally came from one of my favorite grocery stores, the late, great Dean & Deluca. The tips, however, are all mine—because let’s be honest, many recipes skip those little details that make all the difference. That’s where The Gay Gourmand comes in.

Be sure to check out the tips below and watch the full video before you start. This is one of those recipes that’s much smoother when you understand why each step matters before diving in.

Enjoy—and don’t forget to share your favorite topping combinations in the comments or join me on Facebook to keep the pizza conversation going!

TIPS

Overall timing of recipe is 2.5 hours. So if you’re making this for dinner, either make 2.5 hours in advance or the day before. You can store the balls of dough in the fridge for up to 7 days.
You don’t need a fancy pizza stone or a fancy pizza peel for this recipe. All you need is to sprinkle flour on your workstation when you’re making the pizza. Lift up a few times throughout the process so it doesn’t get stuck to the counter. Let rest for 10-60 minutes, then toss on a baking sheet or wired baking sheet for the 7 minute pre-bake. If you didn’t put enough flour down while the dough rests during this step, just slowly peel it off from one end. You might have to lightly re-shape but try and avoid by putting flour down in advance.
Before tossing the dough in the oven for it’s 7 minute pre-bake, rub on your favorite olive oil all over the dough. This will give your crust a little crunch. It also helps by creating a barrier from the sauce once you add it, so it doesn’t get soggy. I use my favorite garlic olive oil I get from the local Farmer’s Market. Link: https://kofinasoliveoil.com/product/spicygarlic-250ml-8-5oz/.
If you don’t have pizza sauce, don’t worry – you can use marinara but tame the flavor by also adding tomato sauce. For my recipe I used a cup of marinara and a cup of tomato sauce. I simmered in a pot for 15 minutes to get rid of excess water, added in some Italian seasoning and onion powder to taste. You don’t want the sauce to be the star of the show but it should taste good. Simmering the sauce, helps create a thicker sauce so you don’t have a soggy center for your pizza dough. But overall, have fun with your sauce! Add in seasonings you enjoy.
Once you add your toppings and put the pizza in the oven, you can cook for as long as you’d like – if you want a more crisp pizza, then let the cheese get a little more “brown” on top. It truly is your preference but like with any pizza you’ve tossed in the oven, you’ll know when it’s done based on how it looks and your preference.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons dry yeast
2 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon fine salt
½ cup milk, room temp.
¾ cup water (at 125° F)
Olive oil for the bowl to rest your dough for 2 hours

Directions

Activate the yeast. Start by mixing the milk and water together in a small bowl or a coffee cup mug. Sprinkle the dry yeast on top, stir lightly for a few seconds. Do not over mix. Set in a warm area for 10-20 minutes.
While the yeast is “reacting” in the coffee cup, add the 2 flours and salt together in a big mixing bowl.
Once the yeast has started to foam up (watch video to see), pour into bowl with flour and salt mixture.
Mix with a wooden spoon and star until it looks like everything is combined.
Sprinkle your workstation with flour. VERY IMPORTANT. If you don’t, you’ll have a hard time kneading the dough.
Add your dough on your floured workstation and begin kneading dough (watch video to see). Do not over knead because you don’t want rough dough. It should be kneaded just past the phase of it being sticky.
Rub olive oil all over a big mixing bowl and place dough in center. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for 2 hours. It doesn’t need to be anywhere cold or warm, just room temp.
While dough is rising, you can prepare your toppings.
After the 2 hours, cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Flour your workstation. One at a time, shape dough into 7-7.5in pizzas (measuring from top to bottom). The first time I did this, I literally got a ruler haha. If you’re not going to use all the dough at once, place the unused dough in an airtight container in the fridge.
Once your pizza dough is shaped into round pizzas, cover lightly with a kitchen towel for 10-60 minutes.
After the pizza dough has risen a little, fork the center to avoid bubbles in the oven. Then add olive oil all over the top of the dough.
Place in oven on 425° F for 7 minutes.
After 7 minutes pre-bake is complete, take out and add sauce/toppings right away.
Place bake in the oven anywhere from 10-20 minutes based on your preference.
ENJOY! YOU DID IT!