Making handmade pizza dough may appear to be a lot of labor…
…but with the right pizza equipment everything is easy…
…also, the bragging rights are well worth it.
The dough itself only takes a few ingredient..
…and a short rise and rest period.
You can start preparing your tomato sauce, chopping fresh vegetables…
…or grating the cheese you’ll use on top while you wait for the dough to be done.
Bake for 15 minutes, then top with basil (or, let’s be honest, extra cheese)…
…and proudly display your far superior-to-takeout creation.
Have you ever make your own pizza?
If you never try it, let’s hear Anna’s story…
As someone who has battled with even the most basic yeast recipes…
…creating this pizza dough was a huge victory for me, and I’m thrilled to say…
…that there’s nothing to be afraid of! Yeast baking isn’t all that scary or difficult…
…and you can make your own very basic pizza dough in minutes…
…at home with no special pizza equipment.
When people are thinking of pizza, they lump them all together as unhealthy. You will have it listed in the same category as burgers, fries, sausages, and more.
Pizza
Let’s start from the very basic…
History of Pizza
Pizza has a long and illustrious history…
Pizza’s origins can be traced back to antiquity, when numerous ancient societies…
…created basic flatbreads with a variety of toppings.
The focaccia, a flat bread known to the Romans as panis focacius…
…was most likely a forerunner of pizza.
Toppings were then added to the focaccia…
Similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, in the 18th…
…or early 19th century evolved into modern pizza.
Go on!
The Origin of Pizza
So, where did pizza come from? The name “pizza” is considered…
…to have originated from the Latin pinsa, which means “flatbread” .
According to mythology, when stationed in Roman-occupied Palestine…
…Roman soldiers developed a love for Jewish Matzoth…
…and devised a similar cuisine when they returned home. However…
…a new archeological find in the Veneto region has uncovered…
…a well-preserved Bronze Age pizza. These early pizzas began to take…
…on a more modern appearance and flavor by the Middle Ages.
The peasantry of the period made the modern pizza dough…
…with whatever ingredients they could find and covered it with olive oil and herbs.
With the advent of the Indian Water Buffalo, the manufacture…
…of mozzarella cheese took on a new dimension.
Fresh mozzarella di buffalo is still used in Italian pizza today…
…and cannot be replaced. While different cheeses have found…
…their way onto pizza (typically in combination with fresh mozzarella)…
…no Italian pizzeria would ever use the dry shredded kind that is so common in America.
Tomatoes were first introduced to Italian cuisine in the 18th…
…and early 19th centuries and the truly contemporary Italian pizza was born.
Even though tomatoes arrived in Italy in the 1530s…
…they were popularly believed to be toxic and primarily grown…
…for ornamental purposes. However, the ingenious (and possibly impoverished)…
…peasants of Naples began using the purportedly lethal fruit…
…into a variety of dishes, including the first pizzas.
The world of Italian cuisine has never been the same since that tragic day…
…but it took some time for the rest of civilization to accept…
…this unrefined peasant meal. Members of the local elite couldn’t…
…get enough of pizza once they sampled it, which by this time was…
…being sold for every meal on the streets of Naples.
As the popularity of pizza grew, street vendors gave way to brick-and-mortar…
…establishments where customers could order a bespoke pizza…
…with a variety of toppings. By 1830, Naples’ “Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba”…
…had established itself as the world’s first authentic pizzeria…
…and the ancient establishment is still making masterpieces today.
The Essential Pizza Equipment
Pizza is one of those dishes that begs for specialized pizza equipment…
Here’s my list of the most beneficial pizza equipment you can acquire right now…
You probably don’t need me to persuade you of the joys of pizza eating…
A slice of pizza pie is universally adored for its crispy-chewy crust…
…acidic sauce, and browned mozzarella. Making pizza at home…
..on the other hand, is lumped in with other crafts cooking endeavor…
… such as beer brewing or sourdough bread baking, as something to be…
…taken seriously and pursued in the search of perfection.
While there are websites and books dedicated to creating pizza like the pros…
…(with backyard wood-fired pizza ovens), I want you to know that…
…none of that is necessary. For pizza equipment, you only need…
…a few mixing bowls, a strong sheet pan, and your oven to produce delicious…
…crave-worthy pizza in your own home. This lesson will teach…
…you through the basics of pizza equipment from dough…
…as well as some handy pizza equipment.
So, here you go!
Pizza Equipment: A Digital Scale
This is the correct one. The most critical pizza equipment for producing…
…consistently superb pizza from scratch at home is a scale.
Forget measuring cups and spoons; they aren’t accurate enough for baking…
…and you can’t make consistent dough without them.
(Learn why mass is the best way to measure baking ingredients here.)
The OXO Stainless Steel Scale has both metric and imperial measures…
…(I almost only use metric while making pizza), an 11-pound (5kg) capacity…
…and a huge, easy-to-read, lighted display that slides out…
…so even the largest bowl won’t impede your reading.
Pizza Equipment: A Bench Scraper
With a bench scraper, you can easily scrape away random…
…bits of dough adhered to your counter and wipe up flour dustings.
This is fantastic for picking up chopped herbs or garlic…
…and transferring them to a pot on the stove.
The OXO Stainless Steel Scraper also features a relatively sharp blade…
…making it excellent for dividing huge dough balls into individual pizza-sized servings.
Pizza Equipment: A Baking Steel
When the Original Baking Steel was released four years ago…
…it revolutionized the way I cooked pizza at home. Even at the same temperature…
…it will yield crisper crusts and deeper char than a baking stone…
…because of its superior conductivity and volumetric heat capacity.
More importantly, pizza stones shatter with time…
…whereas a solid block of steel would last a lifetime or more.
Pizza Equipment: A Wooden Pizza Peel for Launching
Many first-time pizza makers try to save money…
…by purchasing a single pizza peel with metal blades.
This is a blunder. Because raw pizza dough sticks to metal…
…far more easily than it does to wood, unless you’re a pro…
…and can get your pizza topped and into the oven in under a minute…
…you’re likely to have sticking issues. Wooden peels absorb moisture…
…and have a rougher surface, so your stretched…
…and topped dough will stay loose and easy to launch for much longer…
…saving you from pizza-spilled-all-over-the-oven mishaps (and we’ve all had them).
Pizza Equipment: A Metal Pizza Peel for Retrieving
Wooden pizza peels are great for launching pizzas…
…but they’re too thick to slide under a pizza once it’s been baked.
You’ll need a thin-bladed metal peel, such as this one from Kitchen Supply….
These thin-gauge aluminum peels are acceptable for a casual baker…
…but they’ll eventually bend and warp.
Keep reading….
Pizza Equipment: A Pizza Wheel
A knife simply won’t cut it when it comes to portioning pizza….
At least, not if you don’t want to splatter cheese and toppings everywhere…
Those huge, half-moon-shaped rocking blades are fantastic…
…but they’re a pain to store. Nothing surpasses a basic pizza wheel…
…such as this one from OXO, in my opinion.
Pizza Equipment: Detroit Pizza Pan for Detroit-Style Pizzas
The traditional Detroit pizza pan is a 10-by-14-inch metal rectangle…
…with black surfaces (for improved conductivity) and flared sides…
…that slightly curve away from the bottom.
Most modern pans are constructed of anodized aluminum…
…and have a nonstick coating, but the original pans were made of blue steel.
I put a few of these pans to the test and discovered that the black surfaces….
…did make a difference in how effectively the cheese crisped.
Pizza Equipment: A Food Processor
While massive, industrial-scale stand mixers may rule in pizzerias…
…the finest equipment for producing pizza dough at home is a food processor.
Its quick blade movement provides a far stronger gluten network…
…than a stand mixer’s leisurely kneading, and it also allows…
…for less flour oxidation, resulting in greater flavor.
Even if you intend on creating your dough the same day you bake it…
…it will come out smooth, pliable, and simple to stretch.
Pizza Equipment: A Pastry Cutter for Sauce
You want your canned San Marzano tomatoes…
..to have the correct chunky-yet-saucy consistency?
You can squeeze them with your fingers (which is messy) or with a potato masher…
…but I recently switched to a pastry cutter and haven’t looked back.
Tomatoes are chopped as coarsely or finely as you like, right in the saucepan…
…thanks to the stiff, sharp blades.
Our Detailed Articles About Pizza Equipment
The Best Pizza Stone For Oven: A Truly Remarkable In 2021
Producing great pizza at home means you should have…
…the best pizza stone for oven, it’s like laminating pastry…
…or making a loaf of sourdough is one of those kitchens…
…endeavors that require some expertise. It can be difficult…
…to get a blistered, browned crust with a well-baked…
…underneath and melty-crisp toppings.
Pizza Stones for Gas Grills: 5 Best Options for You! (2021)
Discover how to make wood-fired pizza on your gas grill…
…with our guide to the best pizza stones.
We’re pleased to announce that we no longer…
…need wood-fired ovens for just one use.
You can recreate the cooking art on your propane grill…
…by using pizza stone inserts instead.
The Best Way to Use A Pizza Stone (2021)
What’s the best way to make pizza?
A wood-fired oven at 800 degrees Fahrenheit…
The insanely high heat cooks the pie in less than two minutes…
…producing the blistered and perfectly crispy crust that makes pizza so good.
Sum Up
All you’ll need are a few pizza equipment and some tasty recipes…
After that, you have access to the world of handmade pizza!
Everything you need to know about making pizza at home…
…including pizza equipment, the best ingredients, and how to create pizza at home.
Conclusion
That’s it for pizza equipment..
Do you want to start buying and making your own pizza?
Let me know about what you think on comment box!
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
