My whole family used to get together and make homemade pizzas on the weekends, now it is something my husband and I love doing in our own kitchen. If you have the time, I encourage you to try & make homemade pizza completely from scratch.
Keep reading for a full comparison of homemade pizza vs. delivery pizza, tips on how to shorten the process if you need to, and all the recipes we used!
I originally had this planned for Friday and our night out was Saturday, but we swapped plans due to time. I recommend doing this on a night where you have a completely open evening!
First things first, I am not 'anti-delivery pizza'. ;) Every once in a good while it is nice (convenient!) to just have a hot pizza delivered to your door. My husband & I also love going out and getting "fancy" wood-fired pizza, it's a flavor you cannot replicate in an oven.
Our favorite WV pizza place: Backyard Pizza (Huntington, WV). Our favorite Columbus pizza places: Paulie Gee's and Harvest Pizzeria.
However, with this post I want to share how easy it can be and why I like making pizza at home. :)
Comparing
Homemade (Large Supreme Pizza Thick Crust, 8 slices per pizza)
to
Delivery (Pizza Hut Large Supreme Pan Pizza, 8 slices per pizza):
Nutrition & Quality (Ingredients):
(^ Nutrition facts for homemade thick crust supreme pizza, 1 slice. From top to bottom: 1/8 crust, 1/8 sauce, and 1/8 toppings. In bold: Total for 1 slice)
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(^ Pizza Hut Supreme Pan Pizza, (1) slice, information obtained from PizzaHut.com)
*Bottom line: The homemade supreme pizza, minus the pepperoni (I just can't have a pizza without pepperoni and pepperoni has preservatives!), the homemade supreme pizza has higher quality ingredients, using better oils, less ingredients, and way less food additives/preservatives that our bodies don't need. For nutrition, the homemade pizza has less calories, less carbohydrates, a lot less fat (zero trans fat!), less protein, same amount of fiber, 1g more of sugar, less cholesterol, and a lot less sodium! #HomemadeWins
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Price, Time, Taste, and Energy:
*Bottom line: Homemade pizza is cheaper, promotes energy balance (burning calories vs. consuming calories), has more flavor from the fresh ingredients, you're learning how to cook better and spending much quality time with your family through the process, but it does take time and that is the inhibiting factor. Note: You can make dough and sauce ahead and freeze (or get a good quality pre-made) to reduce time for homemade pizza.
Scroll for Recipes!
---PIZZA---
1. For the dough:
We followed this recipe word for word, *EXCEPT I swapped out 1.5 C of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour (What I did in recipe: 2 C King Arthur all-purpose flour and 1.5 C King Arthur whole wheat flour. *optional!)
2. For the sauce:
While the dough was rising for 90 minutes, we made the sauce on the stovetop and let it simmer.
*We doubled the recipe and froze the extra in mason jars!
3. For the toppings:
After we made the sauce and it was simmering on stovetop, we: Browned ground sausage in the skillet, then sauteed fresh mushrooms in the skillet. Chopped fresh banana pepper. Sliced green olives in half. Grated fresh parmesan cheese. Sliced fresh mozzarella. Lay 'em all out in a line in preparation to top!
4. Top & Bake & Eat:
(Zach actually made (2) thin crust pizzas out of his half of dough, I made (1) thick crust.
We have LOTS of leftovers!)
---QUICK & SIMPLE ITALIAN SIDE SALAD---
Now, let's state the elephant in the room: Cooking at home=messing up the kitchen. Cleaning up as I go is how I manage. Kitchens are made to make messes and memories in! *Maybe throw on an apron, though. ;)
I think learning how to cook and enjoy good quality food is essential to a life well lived.
Cheers
to floured clothes, dirty stovetops, and delicious homemade pizza that our bodies and taste buds both love!
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Did you and your family try this homemade pizza night?
Let me know!