Our homemade pizza is ready in 30 minutes and there's NO waiting around for the crust to rise! Add everything but the kitchen sink and you'll still end up with the most delicious snack, lunch or dinner.

Homemade pizza on a plate, from Shelf Cooking

Are your family members basically ninja turtles who want to eat pizza all the time? We don't blame them! Pizza is one of those meals that makes the whole family happy and is easily one of the best recipes to shelf cook. But ordering pizza from your local joint or even grabbing a frozen one from the store can get expensive. There's no need to spend that kind of money on pizza, no matter how good it is! What's a family to do?!

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Make your own! It's so easy to whip up a homemade pizza and ours can be ready to eat in 30 minutes. Not to mention that our homemade pizza dough is the bomb and so easy to make! Stick to the traditional pizza toppings or add whatever you have in your kitchen that needs to be used. It will be delicious no matter what! Ready to get to it? First, let's go over…



PIZZA CRUST SUBSTITUTES

Sometimes you don't have the time or ingredients to make fresh, homemade pizza dough and that's okay! Pizza dough freezes great, so we always make a couple batches to keep on hand for a cheap and easy pizza night. (Details on that in the recipe card!) Here are some other options you can use as well:

  • Store-Bought – It's not as cheap, but you can always grab a few pre-baked pizza crusts from the store, either on the pasta aisle or in the freezer section.
  • Cauliflower Crust – For those who need a low-carb option, cauliflower pizza crust is a great option! It's usually found in the frozen veggies section of the store or you can make your own.
  • Pita BreadThese freeze great, so you can always have them on hand for a variety of different meals!
  • Naan BreadThis also freezes really well.
  • Tortillas – These won't make a thick crust, but you can always use a tortilla and pizza-fy it. Make it extra fun for the kids by using a glass to cut them into small circles, then add to the bottom of a greased muffin pan. Add toppings and bake until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Perfect for lunch or anytime!
  • French or Italian Bread – Hit up the clearance bread at the grocery store, wrap them in some foil and stick them in the freezer. Then when you're ready, let them thaw on the counter for a few hours and you'll be on your way to a quick and delish homemade pizza in no time!
  • Bagels – These make the perfect personal-sized pizzas. Use mini bagels to make a much better version of the bagel bites you can find at the store. They're fun for kids to make their own little pizzas!
  • English MuffinsThese are another fun way for the kids to get involved and let everybody make their own! Perfect for whipping up a quick and easy homemade pizza for lunch.
  • Zucchini – This is actually really good! Either slice them long ways to make pizza boats or into slices to make little pizza bites.
  • Eggplant – The same goes for eggplants! Slice them into long strips or round discs, they'll taste great either way.

Never think that you can't have homemade pizza just because you don't have any dough! As long as you have one of these items in your pantry or freezer, then you'll always have a quick and cheap lunch, snack or dinner.


THE BEST PIZZA TOPPINGS

Pizza with balsamic glaze, from Shelf Cooking

Work with what your mama gave you—or rather, what your fridge, freezer and pantry is giving you! There are no strict “you have to use this and only this” ingredients for pizza. A homemade pizza is the perfect way to use what you've got and do a little kitchen cleanout. It'll be tasty and free since you're using up ingredients that you already have! Thank you, #shelfcooking.

  • Sauce – A homemade pizza is the perfect way to use up any random sauces that have been hanging out in our fridge or freezer! We love using tomato-based sauces, pesto, Alfredo, hummus, ranch, ricotta cheese (yes, not technically a sauce but it helps to act like one!), balsamic glaze, hoisin sauce, garlic aioli, and even barbecue sauce on our pizzas. You can never go wrong making a homemade pizza sauce, either!
  • Cheese – You seriously can't go wrong with any cheese that you decide to throw on your pizza. It'll be delicious no matter what! Plus, cheese freezes really well. We always keep a stock of frozen shredded cheese in the freezer, so we're never without.
  • Pre-Cooked Meat – The sky's the limit when it comes to what you can use on a homemade pizza! As long as it's pre-cooked, you're good to go. Shredded chicken, ground beef, ground sausage, meatball slices, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, lunch meat, fajita steak, sweet pork… (We could seriously continue, but you get the point!)
  • Sliced Veggies – A homemade pizza is the perfect way to eat leftover veggies or ones that are getting soft and need to be eaten quick. Bell pepper, onions, jalapeños, olives, spinach, artichoke, mushrooms or anything else that you may have.

Pro Tip: Who says pizza has to be savory? Make a dessert pizza using Nutella as the base, with berries and brown sugar on top. Or slather it in butter and add a cinnamon sugar topping. After it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips and a powdered sugar glaze. YUM!!!


HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER PIZZA

Microwaving leftover pizza makes it a gummy, chewy mess. Forget that! Stick your pizza on some foil in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty and it's heated all the way through.

It'll taste as fresh as the day you made it and you'll absolutely love having leftover pizza in the fridge!


HOMEMADE PIZZA AND DOUGH RECIPE

Alright, enough yakin' already! Let's get to the goods.

Homemade pizza on a plate, from Shelf Cooking

Homemade Pizza and Dough Recipe

Skip the delivery! Start making your own crust and enjoying making your homemade pizza completely customizable to what you have on hand and love to eat.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Crust

  • 1 cup warm water (around 110°F)
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp active yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2-2½ cups all-purpose flour

For the Pizza

  • Sauce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Pre-cooked meat
  • Veggies

Instructions
 

To Make the Crust

  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a pizza pan or cookie sheet and set to the side.
  • Mix together sugar, yeast and water and let that proof for 5 minutes until it's nice and bubbly. (If you're using instant yeast, skip the proofing step and just mix it all together!)
  • Add olive oil to the mix and stir well.
  • Add 2 cups of flour and salt and mix together with a spatula until a ball starts to form. Add more flour as needed, 1 tbsp at a time, until you have a slightly sticky dough ball. (*See notes if you plan to freeze the dough.)
  • Transfer to a floured surface and knead into a smooth dough. You can add up to half a cup of extra flour if needed.
  • Roll dough into desired shape and transfer to your greased pan.
  • Gently use a fork to prick the dough all the way around, being careful not to poke it all the way through the crust.
  • Bake the dough on the lowest rack of oven for 5 minutes, then remove. Poke any air bubbles with a fork.

To Make the Pizza

  • Add pizza sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. (If you don't like crispy toppings, add even more cheese on top of your toppings.)
  • Bake on the lower rack of oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust looks crispy and is slightly brown. (Keep an eye on it, it goes from slightly brown to overdone quickly!)
  • Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Notes

To freeze your dough, get it to the sticky ball state. Lightly cover in oil and freeze in an air-tight freezer bag. Sit in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, then begin at Step 5 to finish making your pizza!
Keyword appetizer, dinner, easy, homemade, lunch

Okay, you pizza masters! Make those ninja turtles proud and get to makin' those pies! They make great appetizers, snacks, lunch, dinner, and maybe even breakfast for some. 😉 Pair with a salad and some fruit salad and you've got a meal that's perfect for pizza night.


What's your favorite pizza topping? Share it with us in the comments below, we're always looking for new combinations!

Homemade pizza drizzled with balsamic glaze, from Shelf Cooking

Looking for more greatness from Shelf Cooking?

  • Use these great tips for reheating your leftover pizza and making it as fresh as the day you made it!
  • Meal plan using the groceries that you already have as your base and you'll see a major difference in your monthly grocery bill!
  • The next time you run out of cream, try using a cream substitute before heading to the grocery store at the last minute!

Now go get a piece of that pie!