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🍞 Pizza time in the home oven

Published 19 days agoΒ β€’Β 3 min read

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Pizza time in the home oven

This week, I've been making pizza after pizza in the home oven, my Ooni gas oven, and my wood-fired oven in the snow.

I've been testing recipes, sure, but sometimes I just want a pizza. Know what I mean?

Often, I make pizza even when I don't have "pizza toppings" in the fridge. I think a well-fermented pizza without cheese and just tomato might be the greatest food there is (don't tell bread I just said that).

I also secretly think that pizza is bread in disguise. Just like bread, if you don't have a good dough with proper strengthening and fermentation, all you really have is a cracker-by-accident.

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Have you tried making sourdough pizza at home? If so, what's your go-to topping combination?

I love my marinara sauce (scroll down), which is so simple it takes about 10 minutes to make, and you only need a can of whole peeled tomatoes (which I always keep in the pantry in case of pizza emergency).

Since I've been on this pizza kick, let's dive into some recipes (and a useful pizza-at-home guide) that might pique your interest!

In this week's newsletter:

  • Recipes: Home oven pizza, cornmeal skillet pizza, pizza al taglio, Detroit style pizza, high-heat oven pizza
  • Guide: The ultimate guide to sourdough pizza
  • Baking Help: How to heat & cool mixing water?
  • Sourdough Links: An 8,600-year-old bread recipe (!) and more Altamura bread

πŸ• Home oven sourdough pizza

This recipe has been up at the site for over half a decade, and for good reason: it's an easy dough to mix and handle and is super flexible.

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Leftover dough can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days later, pulling one after another each night for a quick pizza (or simply shaped out as a flatbread).

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It's a blank page for you to fill with any toppings you have!

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πŸ• Cornmeal skillet pizza

This unique (and easy) pizza calls for adding polenta to the dough, making for a soft and luxurious, downright delicious pizza.

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It's also incredibly easy to shape, thanks to a cast iron skillet.

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πŸ• Pizza al taglio

Up there near the top (if not the top) is this style of pizza found in Rome. I love using a pan for pizza during the winter, warming the kitchen, and preparing a delicious dinner simultaneously.

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But this is also a fun style that results in pizza that's a little crispy on the bottom and easy to split in half for multiple toppings.

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πŸ• Detroit style pizza

In the mood for thick and cheesy? This sourdough Detroit-style pizza has you covered. I just love those crispy edges!

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πŸ• High-heat pizza recipe

Braving the cold outside to use your wood-fired or gas-fired pizza oven? This dough is designed explicitly for these high-heat ovens and will give you a tall rise with super crispy crust.

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πŸ’‘ Guide: All things sourdough pizza

And last but not least, check out my guide to all things sourdough pizza, with tips (and videos) on balling dough, shaping, and much more.

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πŸ’¬ Member Discussion of the Week

Maurizio, I always love your newsletters. I have a silly question for you. What’s the best way to adjust the mixing water temperature? What’s the easiest way to heat it (microwave?) and to cool it (stick in the refrigerator or freezer?)? Since dough temperature is important, and that is largely dictated by water temp (along with that of the other ingredients), it seems like an area not thoroughly covered.

These are great questions. Here's how I do it. For warm water, I heat the water in the microwave. For cold water, I keep a (non-insulating) water bottle in the fridge at all times filled with water. When I need cool water, it's there ready for mixing!

πŸ›Ÿ 2 Ways I Can Help You Today

πŸ“™ What I'm Reading and Watching

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Happy pizza-making!

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Maurizio Leo

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The Perfect Loaf 🍞

Maurizio Leo

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