Homemade Pizza Night is the BEST! Now that I’ve found the easiest, simple sourdough pizza crust, I’ll never go back to takeout. This homemade pizza night is tons of fun for the whole family: each person can customize their own toppings and spark the creativity that comes with cooking. Just as we were getting tired of the same boring dinners in, Homemade Pizza Night saves the day!
When navigating a gluten-free/dairy-free diet (especially with kids), pizza night can be a challenge. Use this sourdough base as a better option than traditional wheat dough. The toppings can be perfectly customized with dairy-free cheese, fresh veggies, and even fruit! If Sourdough still isn’t well tolerated, try this cauliflower crust instead.
Related: Potacos: Kid-Friendly, Corn-Free Taco Night
If you’re looking for a fun group or family night that caters to individuals on a special diet- here it is. Going out to dinner is still a challenge, but this homemade pizza night can offer the entertainment of a meal without a lot of stress! This meal is fast and versatile: mix it up with different toppings or sauces to keep everyone satisfied.
Pizza Night doesn’t have to be a complete blow-out of your diet! The key to any lifestyle change or special dietary restriction is making it work FOR YOU. That means finding healthier ways to upgrade your favorite foods instead of settling for a life of restriction. Maybe getting Dominos is off the table, but with an easy option like this homemade pizza night… there’s no missing out!
There’s lots of room for interpretation here, but this is my go-to topping bar list for Homemade Pizza Night:
-Red Sauce (I often choose Primal Kitchen’s or you can make your own), White Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Pesto
-Pizza Blend Cheese (or go Dairy-Free)
-Fresh Mozzarella Pearls (for that pooled, melty, goodness)
-Cream Cheese or Soft Goat Cheese (one of my favorite pizza toppings)
-Grated Parmesan
-Pepperoni, Prosciutto, Canadian Bacon, Italian Sausage, Grilled Chicken – or any combo of the sorts
-Cherry Tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomatoes, or Large Sliced Tomatoes
-Bell Peppers, Onions, Jalapeños, Olives, Mushrooms
–Artichoke, Spinach, Arugula, Broccoli
-Pineapple, Figs, or Dates
-Oregano, Fresh Basil, Crushed Red Pepper
Get creative: Pizza toppings are anything you want.
My go-to sauce is Primal Kitchen Paleo Pizza Sauce. I always order mine through Thrive Market! At Whole Foods, I also love Rao’s Pizza Sauce.
Sourdough Pizza Crust (Rome-Style)
Ingredients
- 120 g Sourdough Starter
- 450 g Strong White Flour
- 10 g Table Salt
- 350 g Water on the warm side
- 50 g Olive Oil
Instructions
- Take your starter out and feed it several hours before you're ready to start. It should be bubbly and active when you use it.
- Weigh out flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Add sourdough starter and warm-ish water. Mix roughly.
- Let the dough rest (autolyse) for 30 mins.
- Turn out the dough and work for several minutes. Use a slap and fold or turn and fold method, you have a lot more freedom here than with a Sourdough loaf because you want less rise.
- Add in the oil, and continue to work into a soft, shiny dough.
- Leave dough for 3-4 hours at room temperature. Stretch and fold every few hours. It is WAY stretchier than traditional sourdough.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator, covered for 12-36 hours. If you want Pizza on Saturday night, that means planning ahead and making the dough as early as Thursday!
- A few hours before dinner, remove the dough from the fridge. Divide into the number of pizzas you want- either a large tray of pizza or several individual pies. (A dough scraper will be VERY useful for dividing)
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Press and spread the dough in desired shapes onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan or a cast iron skillet.
- Spread a small amount of sauce onto each pizza. This gives extra flavor profile of roasted sauce and keeps the dough from overcooking, so you get that perfect soft, but not underdone, texture.
- Bake for 20-30 mins, depending on the size of your pizza crusts. You want dried tomato sauce, and just barely browned crust. (This is the pre-bake)
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
- When you're ready to eat- Pre-heat the oven back to 475 degrees. Gather around and top as desired.
- Add the fully-topped pizzas back to the oven for a final 5-6 minutes. Finish with a broil and pull them out when the crusts are just-the-right bit of burnt.
Notes
Individual pizza pies gives each person freedom to be creative and personalize their toppings. My creation: Prosciutto, Pineapple, Yellow Peppers, Jalapeños, Cream Cheese, and Mozzarella! Inspired by the incredible Sweetie Pie at Ester’s in Denver, Colorado.
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