Homemade Cheese Pizza

Homemade Cheese Pizza with a soft chewy crust, homemade sauce, and topped with 3 kinds of cheeses. Perfect for a pizza night in!

Pizza night in has become quite the thing in my house! The kids love to top the pizza with their favorite toppings and this three cheese pizza is a great base to start with.

Use my Homemade Pizza Dough and Homemade Pizza Sauce or use a store bought sauce if you prefer. And don’t forget about the cheese breadsticks!

*Originally published March 2017. Photos and text updated.*

Who doesn’t love a good pizza?? Who doesn’t love a good homemade pizza?? We love this pizza and make it often.

Reasons why you will love this homemade pizza

• Great crust….slightly crispy exterior, soft and chewy interior
• Easy to make
• Great base for any toppings you like
• Use homemade pizza sauce or store bought

Ingredients:

Here is my Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe and Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe plus a breakdown of the ingredients.

• Flour- you can use all-purpose or bread flour. I prefer to use bread flour because it makes the crust a little chewier. But feel free to use what you have on hand.
• Yeast- This recipe will work with both active dry yeast and instant or rapid rise. If you are using active dry it will take a little longer to rise or proof but that’s ok. I like to use Red Star All Natural Yeast because it’s the only yeast with no added ingredients.
• Water- Yeast needs liquid to hydrate and dissolve it so it can do its job. Be sure your water is around 110-115 degrees F to activate the yeast. You can also replace the water with milk for a softer crust if you prefer.
• Oil- I like to use extra virgin olive oil because it provides a nice flavor to the dough. It also keeps it tender.

• Sugar- just a tiny bit to help feed the yeast.
• Salt- Salt is very important in yeast baking because while sugar feeds the yeast to make it grow salt helps retard the growth and provides a steady rise to create that distinct homemade flavor.
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Seasonings- dried oregano, basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper
• Sugar– just a little to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes

About the pizza crust

It is up to you whether you choose to roll it with a rolling pin or gently stretch the dough. Stretching the dough will give a more authentic crust.

Reasons to stretch the dough vs rolling it: it doesn’t knock out all of the air thus creating a puffier crust. Prevents the dough from becoming too thin which results in a dry crust.

To stretch by hand use your fingers to gently pull and rotate. Try not to handle the edges as much so you don’t knock out the air.

Don’t worry about how it looks. You will get better with time. Here is a little video on How to Stretch Pizza Dough.

Also, it’s up to you whether or not you prick the dough before topping. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. The reason to prick is to prevent big air bubbles in your pizza.

Pizza Night In Ideas!!

Have a pizza night in with your family or even friends. Let everyone make their own mini pizza and top it how they desire.

My one rule is not to overload the pizza or pizzas with too many toppings. This will prevent the crust from rising and will end up soggy. Trust me on this one guys……I’ve been there. And PLEASE put the toppings on top of the cheese, lol!

Topping Ideas:

• Pepperoni
• Sausage
• Beef
• Peppers of any kind
• Onions
• Olives
• Mushrooms
• BBQ Sauce
• Bacon (try this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza!)
• Ham
• Pineapple

Best Pizza Pan

I usually cook mine on a pizza stone but I realize not everyone wants to mess with a stone. So this pizza pan with holes would be great as well.

Best way to reheat pizza

You have two options and they depend entirely on preference. If a somewhat soggy crust doesn’t bother you go for the microwave.

If you want a crisper crust reheat your pizza in a skillet and cover with a lid. (This is my preferred method)

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Homemade Cheese Pizza

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Homemade Cheese Pizza with a soft chewy crust, homemade sauce, and topped with 3 cheeses. Perfect for pizza night in!

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheese pizza, homemade pizza

Servings: 8 (makes 1-14″ pizza)

Calories: 260 kcal

Author: Malinda Linnebur

Ingredients

• 1 pound (550g) pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
• 1⅓ cup (315ml) pizza sauce (homemade or store bought)
• 2½ cups (280g) shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup (55g) shredded cheddar cheese
• ⅓ cup (40g) shredded Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, pizza stone or pizza pan, set aside.

2. Roll or stretch the dough into a 14 inch circle then place on your prepared pan. Form a small lip around the edge to hold your toppings in. Top your pizza with the sauce and cheeses. Sprinkle the top with the oregano, basil and garlic powder.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden.

Recipe Notes

1. If you are using a pizza stone: Preheat the stone while making the pizza. Be sure to make your pizza on a peel or a piece of parchment paper. Slide the pizza off the peel and on to the stone or transfer the pizza parchment paper and all on to the hot stone. 
2. Nutrition facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Cheese Pizza

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 260 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 33mg11%

Sodium 575mg25%

Potassium 10mg0%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1.7g2%

Protein 9.6g19%

Calcium 216mg22%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.