Difficulty Level: Beginner

Why it’s great for your cooking channel: Homemade Pizza is an excellent recipe for your cooking channel because it offers a perfect balance of instructional content and visual appeal. Making pizza dough from scratch provides an opportunity to demonstrate valuable baking techniques, such as kneading and proofing yeast. Additionally, topping the pizza with a variety of ingredients allows for creativity and personalization, making it engaging for your audience to watch. The vibrant colors and textures of the toppings will make your pizza visually appealing, and viewers will enjoy seeing the transformation from raw dough to a hot, bubbling pizza fresh from the oven. Overall, Homemade Pizza is a crowd-pleaser that will showcase your cooking skills and inspire your audience to get creative in their own kitchens.

Description: Homemade Pizza is a classic comfort food loved by many. This recipe guides you through making pizza dough from scratch and topping it with your favorite ingredients, resulting in a delicious and customizable meal.

Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including dough rising time)

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Serving size: 1 large pizza (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F/45°C)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the toppings (customize to your preference):

• Tomato sauce or pizza sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Sliced pepperoni
• Sliced bell peppers
• Sliced mushrooms
• Sliced onions
• Fresh basil leaves
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil.
• Stir the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Preheat your oven to the highest temperature (usually around 475°F/245°C) and place a pizza stone or baking sheet inside to heat up.
• Punch down the risen dough and divide it into two equal portions for two thin-crust pizzas or leave it as one for a thicker crust. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness.
• Transfer the rolled-out dough to a piece of parchment paper or a lightly greased pizza pan.
• Spread tomato sauce or pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
• Add your desired toppings such as sliced pepperoni, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, and fresh basil leaves.
• Carefully transfer the pizza (on the parchment paper or pizza pan) to the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy your homemade pizza!