Authentic Italian Pizza

Pizza is a flat, round shaped bread, that is oven-baked. It is normally garnished with toppings such as cheese, vegetables, meat, and even fruits. The following section provides a recipe to prepare an authentic Italian pizza from scratch.

Making pizza at home is not very difficult. The pizza base is prepared in the same way as any other bread, and the sauce is also quite easy to make, too. It saves money spent on ordering for it from outside, and has a unique taste of its own. Follow the recipe below to make an Italian pizza at home.

Ingredients

• Dry yeast - 2 packets
• Lukewarm water - 2 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 4 tablespoons
• All-purpose flour, sifted - 4 cups
• Cooking oil - 2 tablespoons
• Milk - 2 cups

Directions

• First, soften the yeast by mixing it in a pan of warm water. Dissolve it completely in the water, by stirring it continuously.

• After that, add sugar and 2½ cups of the flour to this mixture. Add the milk (the amount used, depends on the amount of flour you use. Adjust the quantity according to the consistency of the dough) to this. Mix it up, thoroughly.

• Then, add the oil, salt, and remaining flour, to the mixture. Mix it up well. Then, knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you feel that it's firm enough.

• Grease the insides of a bowl and place the dough in it.
• Grease the dough and wrap it with a damp piece of cloth. Keep this in a warm place, where the temperature is around 80 to 85 ºF.

• You have to keep it at this temperature for an hour or two. You will notice that the ball of dough rises and increases in size.
• Remove it from the warm place, flatten it, and place it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, till it is hard enough to handle.

• Flatten it out using a rolling pin. Maintain a ¼-inch thickness and 13-inch diameter. Ensure that you stick to these dimensions.
• Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, and place the dough on it. Using a fork, puncture it at least 7 to 8 times, so that it bakes properly.

Ingredients

• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Oregano - 1 tablespoon
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - 1 tablespoon
• Romano cheese (grated) - ⅓ cup
• Large onions (sliced) - 2
• Tomato paste - 1 can
• Italian-style tomatoes - 1 to 2 cans
• Olive oil - 4 tablespoons
• Mozzarella cheese (shredded) - ½ lb

Directions

• First, sauté the garlic in a large frypan over medium heat, till it becomes golden brown.
• Repeat the process for the onions, till they turn a light shade of brown. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir the mix for at least 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper, too. Cover the pan and let the entire mixture simmer over a low flame for at least half an hour.

• Your sauce is ready to be spread on top of the pizza crust.
• Sprinkle the Romano and Mozzarella cheese on the layer of sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 425 ºF for 30 minutes, prior to placing the crust in it. Once it's is placed in the oven, reduce the temperature to at least 300 ºF and let it bake for 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• Italian sausages - 1 pack
• Toppings (according to preference)

Directions
Once the crust is ready, scatter the toppings over it. You can prepare them while the crust bakes. For this, slice the Italian sausages and place them around the top of the crust. You can put fried sliced mushrooms, onions, or capsicum, or American corn, on the pizza. You can garnish it with minced garlic and oregano seasoning.

Thus, making an Italian pizza is very easy. There is room for experimentation with your choice of toppings, to give the pizza a unique taste every time.