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I Finally Replaced Delivery Pizza With Homemade and Saved Hundreds
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items Spending forty bucks every Friday on mediocre delivery pizza was getting embarrassing. My bank account was crying and the pizza wasn't even that good half the time. This is every single tool, ingredient, and piece of gear I actually use now that Frid...
Sections
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Pizza Dough Ingredients That Actually Work
Sauces and Toppings Worth Keeping Stocked
Pizza Making Tools I Use Every Single Week
Oven Gear That Makes Homemade Pizza Taste Real
Specialty Ingredients for When You Want to Show Off
Cleanup and Storage So You Actually Make Pizza Again
Pizza Dough Ingredients That Actually Work
Spent two months making terrible dough before I nailed the ratio. These specific products gave me a dough that's chewy inside and crispy outside without a culinary degree.
Switch to this from generic store flour. My dough went from gummy and flat to actually having structure. Protein content matters more than I ever realized.
King Arthur Baking Company, All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb Bag
Grab this if you've been scared of yeast your whole life. Dissolves in warm water, proofs in ten minutes, and suddenly you're the person who makes bread. Stock up because once you start you won't stop.
Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, 0g Sodium,3 Count, 1/4oz.
Toss your old iodized table salt for pizza dough. Kosher salt dissolves evenly and doesn't leave that weird metallic bite. My crust tasted professional after this one swap.
Morton Kosher Salt Flakes 3 lb.
Use this in the dough AND to oil your bowl for rising. Adds a subtle richness that makes the crust taste like a real pizzeria. For anyone who thinks olive oil is olive oil, try this side by side with the cheap stuff.
Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 32 fl oz
Just a teaspoon feeds the yeast and gets it bubbling. Watched my dough double in size for the first time and literally texted my mom about it. A tiny bit changes everything.
Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, 4 lb. Bag
Dust your peel or baking sheet with this instead of regular flour. Keeps the dough from sticking and adds a slight crunch to the bottom. Wish someone had told me this six months earlier.
Bob's Red Mill Semolina Flour 24 oz Pack of 1
Throw a tablespoon into your dough if you want that stretchy, foldable New York style texture. Took my crust from cracker-thin to properly chewy in one batch.
Bob's Red Mill, Vital Wheat Gluten, 22 Oz, Great for Baking
Sauces and Toppings Worth Keeping Stocked
Ran out of sauce mid-pizza once and tried ketchup. Never again. Now I keep these on rotation so Friday night never falls apart.
Crush these by hand, add salt and garlic, and you have a sauce that destroys any jar sauce. My neighbor asked if I ordered from a new restaurant. Nope, just canned tomatoes.
Cento San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes, 28 oz
Get this over pre-shredded bags. Shred it yourself and the melt is completely different. Pre-shredded has anti-caking powder that makes it rubbery. Five extra minutes of grating changed everything.
Galbani
Keep two packs in the fridge at all times. Curls up into little crispy cups in the oven and pools with that orange grease in the best way. My kids request this over delivery pepperoni now.
Hormel Pepperoni, Slices, 6 oz Resealable Package
Sprinkle this on top right when the pizza comes out of the oven. Adds a salty punch that makes homemade taste like you know what you're doing. Perfect for anyone whose pizza tastes flat.
Great Value Parmesan Finely Shredded Cheese, 6 oz Bag
Pair these with some red onion and feta for a Greek pizza night that made my partner forget about delivery entirely. Briny and firm, not mushy like canned black olives.
Divina, Olives, Organic Kalamata Pitted, 10.2 Oz.
Toss a handful on after baking. Wilts just enough from the heat without getting soggy. For anyone trying to feel slightly less guilty about eating an entire pizza alone on a Tuesday.
Marketside Organic Baby Spinach 5 oz Fresh Salad
Shake this on liberally if you're the person who always asks for extra red pepper flakes from delivery. Way cheaper to have your own jar and the flavor is sharper than those little packets.
McCormick Crushed Red Pepper, 4.62 oz
Pizza Making Tools I Use Every Single Week
Started out slapping dough on a cookie sheet like an animal. These tools made the process feel less chaotic and the results way more consistent.
Use this if you don't have a pizza stone yet. Flip it upside down for a flat surface. Got crispy bottoms this way for months before upgrading. Works surprisingly well.
Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick Bakeware Large
Kneading by hand got old by week three. This does ten minutes of kneading while I prep toppings. For anyone with wrist problems or just zero patience, it's a real time saver.
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Ditch your wobbly wheel cutter. This rocks back and forth and actually cuts through thick crust without dragging all the cheese off. Bought it on impulse and use it weekly now.
Epicurean Pizza Cutters - Natural/Slate - 16
Keep this around for when you want thin crust nights. Some doughs fight back when you try to hand stretch them. This settles the argument fast.
OXO SoftWorks Steel Rolling Pin, 12-Inch
Use this to proof your yeast in warm water. You can see the bubbles forming through the glass so you know it's alive. Saved me from making dead dough more than once.
Pyrex, Measuring Cup, 2-Cup, Glass with Red Graphics
Grab this for cutting dough portions and scraping dried dough off your counter. Cleaning up after pizza night used to take forever. Now I scrape, wipe, done.
Amerteer Spring Chef Stainless Steel Pastry Scraper
Lay the dough right on a sheet and slide it onto your baking surface. Zero sticking, zero mess. For anyone who has scraped burnt dough off a pan at 11pm, this is the fix.
Reynolds Parchment Paper Baking Sheets 22 Count
Oven Gear That Makes Homemade Pizza Taste Real
My first homemade pizzas tasted like cafeteria food because my oven setup was all wrong. These pieces closed the gap between home oven and pizzeria fast.
Preheat this in your oven and the bottom of your crust gets that char you thought only wood-fired ovens could do. Heavier than expected but the results are worth the arm workout.
Lodge, Cast Iron Pizza Pan, 15 inch, Black, Pre-Seasoned
Put this on the lowest rack and crank your oven to max. First pizza I made on this had actual leopard spots on the crust. The difference from a regular baking sheet is night and day.
Pizzacraft 15" Square ThermaBond Baking/Pizza Stone
Use this to check your water temp before adding yeast. Too hot kills it, too cold and nothing happens. Took the guesswork out and my dough has been consistent ever since.
Taylor Stainless Steel Digital Foldable Probe Meat
Lighter than cast iron if you want something easier to handle. Has small holes in the bottom that let heat through for a crispier crust. My weeknight go-to when I'm feeling lazy.
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Bakeware 14" Pizza Pan
Slide your pizza in and out of the oven without burning your forearms. Learned this lesson the hard way twice before buying one. Thin enough to get under the crust easily.
12 Inch Aluminum Pizza Peel with Long Handle
Cold ferment your dough overnight in this. Slow rise in the fridge develops flavor that same-day dough just can't match. Sunday prep, Friday pizza. That's the move.
Rubbermaid 8.5 Gallon Food Storage Box/Tote
Discovered my oven was running 25 degrees cold, which explained months of pale, sad crusts. Hung this inside and finally started baking at the actual temperature I needed.
OXO Good Grips Chef039;s Precision Instant Read
Specialty Ingredients for When You Want to Show Off
Regular margherita is great but sometimes you want to make the kind of pizza that makes people put their phone down and pay attention. These do that.
Drape thin slices on right after the pizza comes out of the oven. The residual heat warms it just enough. Made this for a dinner party and someone literally slow clapped. Worth every penny.
Boar's Head Prosciutto di Parma, 3 oz
Dot this across a fig and arugula pizza for something that tastes like a thirty dollar restaurant appetizer. Tangy, creamy, and melts into little pockets. Date night pizza sorted.
President Crumbled Feta Cheese, 6 oz (Refrigerated)
Drizzle this over pepperoni pizza after baking. Sweet, spicy, slightly sticky. My brother-in-law tried it and immediately ordered his own bottle from his phone while still chewing.
Mike's Hot Honey, Paleo Honey with a Kick
Use as a base instead of tomato sauce for a Mediterranean style pizza with roasted veggies. Sounds weird, tastes incredible. For anyone stuck in a marinara rut who needs something different.
Sabra Classic Original Fresh Hummus Dip
Sprinkle into your sauce or directly onto the dough before adding toppings. Smells like an Italian grandmother's kitchen and costs less than a delivery tip.
Simply Organic, Italian Seasoning, 0.95 oz Bottle
Blend this with your mozzarella for a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that regular cheese blends can't touch. Discovered this by accident when I ran out of mozz and never went back.
Sargento Shredded Cheese
Toss these on after baking for garlic crunch without having to mince anything. Perfect for the person who puts garlic in everything but hates the sticky fingers.
Fresh Gourmet Crispy Garlic, 6-Pack of 3.5 oz Resealable
Cleanup and Storage So You Actually Make Pizza Again
First few times I made pizza, the kitchen looked like a crime scene after. Almost went back to delivery just to avoid the mess. These made cleanup painless enough to keep going.
Keep a dedicated one for your pizza stone and pans. Gets baked-on cheese off without scratching surfaces. Goes through them fast but the pack lasts a while.
Scotch-Brite, Cleaning Sponges, Blue
Cuts through olive oil and flour paste on your counter way better than generic soap. Smells good enough that cleanup doesn't feel like punishment. Small thing that makes a difference.
Mrs. Meyer's, Liquid Dish Soap, Lemon Verbena Scent
Portion your leftover dough into these and refrigerate for up to three days. Airtight seal means no dried-out dough balls. Meal prep for pizza sounds ridiculous but it works.
Rubbermaid Brilliance 10-Piece Set, Leak-Proof and Clear
Wrap your dough ball tightly before cold fermenting if you don't have containers. Clings well enough that air doesn't dry out the surface. Cheap fix until you commit to proper storage.
Saran Wrap Plastic Food Wraps
Use this on your stand mixer bowl and dough hook. Gets into the curves where dried dough hides. Spent way too long picking at crusty dough with my fingernail before buying this.
OXO NEW Good Grips Soap Dispensing Dish Brush
Wipe down your oven door and appliances after pizza night. Flour dust and sauce splatter get everywhere. These clean it up in one pass without streaks.
Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner Wipes - 30 Count (3 Pack)
Freeze individual dough portions in these for pizza emergencies. Pull one out in the morning, it's ready by dinner. For anyone who wants homemade pizza on a weeknight without the prep.
Full Circle Ziptuck 3-Piece Reusable Multicolor Produce