If you find yourself out of luck — or you’re planning a party — here are five secrets from Verità co-owner Leslie Wells for making the best-tasting pizza at home:
- Use a dough recipe with a long fermentation process; this gives the crust more structure and airiness.
- Source the freshest, highest-quality ingredients for topping.
- Never underestimate a great cheese.
- Get your oven as hot as possible, and finish with the broiler to cook the top.
- Keep it simple; don’t over-top the pizza. The key is to have flavors that complement, rather than overwhelm, each other.
What tricks do you have for making pizza at home?
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Here is my most important trick to making home pizza – Don’t make the dough ! Go to your favorite pizzeria and ask if they will sell you their dough . Most will at a reasonable price . Frankly making your own dough is a big pain . Time better spent elsewhere and frankly the results won’t be as good as what you can buy . Second trick is using a pizza stone . Well worth the purchase as it can be used for bread , focaccia or reheating baked items . It can last for decades .
Best dough you can buy: Pepe’s (from Amsterdam, NY). “Perfect Pizza dough”. Not sure if all Hannaford’s markets carry it, but Lantman’s in Hinesburg does, and it makes a perfect Neopolitan “apizza” dough, like from New Haven. Or a nice sicilian for a change.
Key is heat. Your oven has to be at least 450 degrees.
And NEVER use part-skim mozzarella. Whole milk only, and not the major supermarket brands (Kraft or Cabot).