Homemade Pizza With Various Toppings

Homemade Pizza With Various Toppings is a fun way to get people together. We often have friends over for pizza nights and it’s a fun activity we enjoy with the grandkids. The best part is, with all of the various toppings, you can personalize your pizza to fit your taste.

Prepare the Dough

The pizza dough makes one very large (16-inch) pie, two medium (8- to 10-inch) pies or four to six mini pizzas. It can also be used for focaccia or stromboli.

One thing to note is that the texture of the dough can be affected by how the flour is stored and how old it is. The best way to judge the dough when it’s coming together is by the feel. It should feel smooth and not sticky.

You can also make the pizza dough ahead. Let it rise anywhere from two hours to all day, noting that a longer rise will yield a lighter dough. If you are not using the dough right away you can refrigerate it for later use. It can also be frozen, but must be thoroughly defrosted before use and brought to room temperature. 

The recipe calls for 00 flour, which is finely milled Italian flour made with drum wheat, which yields a crispier, chewier crust. All-purpose flour, made with red winter wheat, works, but if you're really into pizza, using the 00 is worth it.

Pizza Variations

Here are three different variations of pizza that you can try at home.

Salad Pizza

Not your typical salad. This pizza is topped with romaine, radicchio, fennel, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. Radicchio has a bitter, spicy flavor and adds a pop of color to this pizza. Use the 6″ Vegetable Knife to slice it.

Fennel is a not-so-typical salad ingredient on this pizza. It has a very mild anise or licorice flavor, but it pairs well with the goat cheese. We suggest slicing it using the 7″ Santoku.

For instructions on how to slice fennel, take a look at Cutco’s handy step-by-step tutorial.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

If you’re a vegetable lover, you will enjoy this variation. This pizza is topped with zucchini, eggplant, onions and bell peppers. Use the 7-5/8″ Petite Chef to evenly dice the onion and bell pepper.

When all your vegetables are ready, place them onto a baking pan in a single layer to roast and then use to top your pizza.

Sausage and Peppers With Sliced Mozzarella Pizza

Topped with cooked Italian sausage, diced bell peppers and fresh mozzarella, this variation is a crowd favorite. Using a Cheese Knife, you can choose to slice or chop the mozzarella.

Preparing the Pizzas

We used pizza screens which don’t need to be sprinkled with flour or cornmeal, but we do spray them with nonstick cooking spray. If you choose to use a pizza pan, do lightly sprinkle it with flour or cornmeal, or line it with parchment paper.

To cook the pizza, stretch the dough to the desired size on the pizza screen or prepared pan. After you add your toppings, brush the exposed crust with olive oil for browning.

These pizzas only need about 15 to 20 minutes to cook in a hot 500 F oven. A good indicator is when the outside edges of the crust are golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Serving the Pizza

Before cutting let the pizza rest a few minutes, and then use a Pizza Cutter to cut even slices.

Homemade Pizza With Various Toppings is a casual way to entertain guests of all ages. You can also have some fun trying to throw the dough, something my husband likes doing. Enjoy!