Homemade Pizza Night Guide

Name: Homemade Pizza Night Guide
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups bread flour; 1 1/4 cups warm water; 1 teaspoon instant yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes; 8 ounces fresh mozzarella; Olive oil, basil, and flaky salt

A slow-fermented dough, a smart sauce, and the topping combinations we return to every Friday.

Mira AldenFood editorMay 24, 2026★★★★★4.7(15 reviews)

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A homemade pizza with bubbling cheese and browned crust — Photo by Ivan Torres on Unsplash

Pizza night is a ritual disguised as a recipe. Start the dough on Thursday, let it sleep in the fridge, and by Friday evening you have something that rivals any neighborhood spot.

Keep the sauce almost aggressively simple: crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and salt. Let the toppings do the talking.

House favorites

Margherita with torn basil, hot honey and sopressata, or caramelized onion with ricotta and thyme.

The recipe

Tick ingredients off as you go. Quantities scale with servings.

4 servings

Method 5 steps

Mix flour, water, yeast, and salt into a shaggy dough.
15 min
Rest for 20 minutes, then fold four times over an hour.
Cold ferment overnight and bring to room temperature before shaping.
20 min
Stretch, top lightly, and bake on a hot stone or steel at 500 F until charred at the edges.
12 min
Finish with olive oil, torn basil, and flaky salt.

Serving notes

Serve with a torn heel of good bread, a green salad sharp with lemon, and a glass of something cold. Leftovers keep, covered, for up to three days in the fridge.

Tagged#pizza #dinner #baking