Comments on: A Guide to Making Inexpensive and Delicious Homemade Pizza

By: Palomita

Palomita — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:26:34 +0000

I made this pizza for a party this past saturday :) it was delicious! It was the first food item to go. The beer in the pizza is a great touch. Next time I might try motzarella/tomato/basil leaves toppings :d mmm! <3

By: J.

J. — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:57:38 +0000

The biggest thing you can do to keep the cost of the pizza down is to buy yeast in bulk. Either go to a health-food store or to a warehouse store- just be sure to follow the storage instructions. Sam’s Club sells yeast for 2 lbs for $5- even if you have to throw away half of it, you still save a ton of money over grocery store prices. Cheese can also be bought in bulk and frozen. I also buy canned tomatoes and paste in bulk and make a three-month supply at once to store in the freezer- saves time as well as money. Finally, buying generic flour in 10 or 25 pound bags, depending on your needs, also saves money.

By: Ram

Ram — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:53:01 +0000

@Kara, @ChrisD, @honestb, @Karin, @Trent
Thank you so much for tips around no-salt recipe. We tried a few weeks ago and turned out great. I have posted my changes and pictures here
http://ootathindi.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/no-salt-home-made-pizza/

By: tentaculistic

tentaculistic — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:29:48 +0000

I’ve started doing this, thanks for the idea. I got a pizza stone, and since I don’t have a mixer I just bought the pizza dough from Bertucci’s (about $3 each small pizza). It’s been yummy so far. I’m planning on getting on Craigslist a small-loaf bread maker, which according to Amazon comments can be used to make pizza dough too. Thanks for the post! (see, you wrote this in March, I didn’t get around to doing it for over a month… you plant seeds in our minds, you know!)

By: Jenna

Jenna — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:56:51 +0000

I’ve never had trouble with dough. I always use the recipe here: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001506.html.

I don’t have a pizza stone yet so I cook them on a cookie sheet turned upside down. works fine, dough gets crisp. for toppings, experiment with whatever toppings you have in the house. I like a blue cheese, fennel, turkey bacon combo on a thin base of apricot chutney.

By: Lisa W.

Lisa W. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:44:46 +0000

Love the recipe, thank you! I posted a link and a review to my blog, devilsworkshopcrafts.blogspot.com.

By: Jules

Jules — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:07:57 +0000

So simple, even I can do it! I even have photos as evidence. :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zzpza/sets/72157616094374051/

Om-nom-nom.

By: Tina

Tina — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:38:45 +0000

I just made this tonight and it turned out great! I felt like Tom Hanks in ‘Castaway’ when he made fire. I made Pizza!!
I used a cup of beer for the crust and it did turn out very flavorful.

By: Abi

Abi — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:19:06 +0000

I made your pizza recipe this weekend! It was awesome! By far my favorite pizza in a long time and I can’t wait to make it again w/ different toppings.

thanks!

By: Kasandra

Kasandra — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:44:55 +0000

What a great post and thanks to everyone for their ideas! One sauce we love (not as healthy but put lots of vegetables on it, lol) is called Tomato Basil pizza. The sauce calls for:
2c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp basil
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove crushed

Mix all these together and put on pizza crust. Add 4 sliced roma tomatoes on top (and whatever other vegetable you want, I sometimes add chicken if I have it).
My kids absolutely LOVE this pizza and it never lasts long.
Happy PIZZA night!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:54:52 +0000

I followed these instructions last night. It was really easy, cheap and quick. I learnt that hand kneeding is much easier and quicker than using the machine. Watered down tomoto paste worked a treat too. I had it for dinner with my wife, and we had 5 friends over who had a couple of peices each, using the same amounts specified in this recipe. It was very popular.

By: corina

corina — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:54:26 +0000

We had a great time making this with my family.
Variation: We used the beer instead of water and did a 1/3 part whole wheat flour and it was awesome! We stuck left overs in the fridge and reheated on the skillet 2 days later and it was still great! So easy to make!!

By: Sherie

Sherie — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:46:20 +0000

We buy our dough from the local pizza place and cook it on the grill. You throw it on for a couple of minutes, until one side is a little brown. Take it off the grill and put the cooked side up on a cookie sheet…make sure the sheet is oiled and then put your toppings on the cooked side. Slide the pizza back off the cookie sheet onto your well oiled grill, close the grates and the lid and cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes. It’s SO much better than any homemade pizza in the oven. W/ summer on the way, it’s the perfect friday evening…just sit out on the deck w/ a bottle of vino and wait for your pizza to grill!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:32:03 +0000

I started making “homemade” pizza about a month ago…couldn’t afford the Schwan’s anymore. I’ve been buying one roll of storebrand pizza crust in the can (about $1.50, one can of tomatoe sauce, .50 seasoning for sauce in pantry, 1/2 bag of cheese, $1.00. I then throw lunch meat or some type of leaftovers on one side. The kids think it great and we’ve had pizza for $3.

Now I’ll have to try the homemade dough and see if I can get the cost down even more. Thanks, great post.

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:24:01 +0000

I made this pizza tonight and it was FANTASTIC. Boyfriend and I have very different views on what should go on pizza so this actually saves us from buying TWO. I couldn’t be more pleased with myself and the recipe. I’ll have to try the beer crust next time. Sky’s the limit, as far as I’m concerned. Thank you!

By: drew

drew — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:58:42 +0000

Awesome and incredibly easy recipe. Made it with beer, and the crust was incredible. Only thing I would do differently is perhaps put some olive oil on the crust before putting on the toppings to crisp it just a bit more. Thanks!

By: Equalknight

Equalknight — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:55:06 +0000

Hi Jon, all is good! Love, peace and PIZZAAAAAAA
You are very nice for replying and that shows you are a very good guy – sorry if I read u wrong!
EK

By: Carl

Carl — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:44:27 +0000

I like a thicker crust, so I usually add more flour (general purpose flour) and water for that thicker crust. I also add a tablespoon of sugar to the warm water and yeast and allow the yeast to brew about 15 minutes before adding to the flour mixture and oil.

Another thing I do since I like the thicker, chewier crust, is I often put down a layer of cheese next to the crust. This partially melts into the top layer of the crust, both adding to the flavor and the chewiness (is that a word?)

I have been making my own homemade pizza for about 30 years.

By: PBreen

PBreen — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:43:54 +0000

Great post. Been meaning to do this for years. (We’ve actually had a pizza stone for at least a decade!)

Nancy, not to be a jerk, but WADR New Haven isn’t really a New York suburb.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:54:37 +0000

I sat down and figured out how much it costs to make just a pizza crust and it is very inexpensive.

I make pizza every Friday night. I’ve also used this crust recipe for calzones. For extra flavor sometimes I add 1/2 a tomato bouillon cube (adds 4 cents to price.)

Here’s the recipe I use:

Pizza Crust (51 cents for a 14″ crust):

1/2 cup water (free)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (.05)

1 teaspoon vinegar (.05)

1/2 teaspoon salt (.01)

1 tablespoon white sugar (.01)

1/4 cup milk (.06)

2 1/4 cups flour (.18)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (.15)

Place ingredients in order listed in a bread machine and use the dough cycle.

When dough cycle is done place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Form the crust and prebake on pizza stone for 5 minutes.

Remove prebaked crust from oven and place the toppings on the crust.

Bake at 450 degrees for an additional 5 – 10 minutes.