Fri-daaaay. Good to see you, my friend.
I mean if we muuuust have the pizza today then so be it. It is Friday after all and correct me if I’m wrong but in the How To Live Life Correctly book you should be eating this homemade pizza with killer sauce today. Because this homemade pizza crust topped with a mountain of toppings including homemade killer sauce, ground beef, roasted red peppers and a bucket of melted cheese will make your mouth dance!
I am so proud of this pizza made from scratch. I know it may seem like getting a take out pizza is so much better, but it’s actually really easy to make pizza yourself. If you make homemade pizza dough and keep it on hand in your freezer, the whole pizza making process will take you less time than getting the pizza delivered from a local pizza shop.
I love this easy pizza crust. It is the most amazing crisp and chewy crust, just the way pizza dough should be.
And while that dough is rising, you can get to work on your toppings. They’re all pretty easy, you’re really just simmering the sauce, browning ground beef, roasting red peppers and topping the whole thing with ricotta + mozzarella cheese. I have found that pizza doesn’t require a ton of topping to be amazing, just a few key ingredients and you’re good to go!
And FYI, this pizza sauce is a killer! It will make you drool, it will knock your socks off. All because there is a secret ingredient in it: anchovies. Whaat? Yes. These tiny cured fish pack a wallop of flavor in tiny amounts and because of that, chefs like to add them to everything from salad dressings to stews to spike up the flavors. They deliver umami taste, inducing flavor with multiple layers. But the trick is that you can’t taste anchovies at all! Trust me, no fishy smell and no one will ever know you have added it.
I hope you make this homemade pizza with killer sauce soon as it’s a true crowd pleaser!
Pizza Dough Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Pizza Sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 anchovy filets
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 bottle (24 oz) strained Italian tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
Toppings:
1 lb ground beef
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Italian dried herbs
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 mozzarella ball, sliced
fennel leaves to garnish
In a mixer bowl, sift in the flour, salt and olive oil. Pour in the yeast mixture and using a dough hook attachment mix the dough on low speed until the dough forms into a ball. Continue mixing for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and firm.
Drizzle the pizza dough ball with the some olive oil on all sides to make sure it’s all coated with the oil. This will help prevent a dry skin from forming on top of the dough as it’s rising.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
While the dough is rising prepare the sauce.
In a medium sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and add anchovy fillets. Once the fillets start simmering add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the dried herbs and red pepper flakes. Pour in the strained tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt, sugar and pepper. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally. At the end add baking soda, mix and turn off the heat. The addition of baking soda will help neutralize and balance the acidity of the sauce.
While the sauce is cooking, sauté the ground beef with shallot and garlic. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Cook stirring for about 15-20 minutes.
Roast the red bell peppers in the preheated 500 F oven until charred, remove from oven and cover with plastic until cool. Then peel and slice into strips.
Dump the dough onto the slightly floured working surface and cut the dough in half. Form two dough balls to make two medium pizzas. You can refrigerate the dough overnight to use the next day or freeze up to three months.
Preheat the oven to 500 F.
Place the pizza stone into the oven so that it heats up too. Use the baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone. Although the pizza stone is the secret to a really crispy crust.
Line the working surface with a piece of parchment paper. Spread the dough using your hands on top of the parchment paper. This way, it’s easier to transfer the pizza right to the pizza stone.
Spread the pizza sauce over the crust, leaving it off the edges. Top with toppings and cover with cheese and fennel.
Transfer the pizza with the parchment paper to a thin, large wooden cutting board or a pizza peel, using the edge of the parchment paper to move it over. Then, use the edge of the parchment paper to move the pizza over to the heated pizza stone.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden and crisp.
- Pizza Dough Ingredients:
- 1½ cup warm water
- 2½ tsp active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Pizza Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 anchovy filets
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 bottle (24 oz) strained Italian tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- Toppings:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp Italian dried herbs
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 mozzarella ball, sliced
- fennel leaves to garnish
- To make the pizza dough first combine the yeast with sugar and warm water. Set aside for a few minutes while mixing the rest of the ingredients together. In a mixer bowl, combine the flour, salt and olive oil. Pour in the yeast mixture and using a dough hook attachment mix the dough on low speed until the dough forms into a ball. Continue mixing for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and firm. Drizzle the dough ball with the some olive oil on all sides to make sure it’s all coated with the oil. This will help prevent a dry skin from forming on top of the dough as it’s rising. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising prepare the sauce. In a medium sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and add anchovy fillets. Once the fillets start simmering add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the dried herbs and red pepper flakes. Pour in the strained tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt, sugar and pepper. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally. At the end add baking soda, mix and turn off the heat. The addition of baking soda will help neutralize and balance the acidity of the sauce.
- While the sauce is cooking sauté the ground beef with shallot and garlic. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Cook stirring for about 15-20 minutes.
- Roast the red bell peppers in the preheated 500 F oven until charred, remove from oven and cover with plastic until cool. Then peel and slice into strips.
- Dump the dough onto the slightly floured working surface and cut the dough in half. Form two dough balls to make two medium pizzas. You can refrigerate the dough overnight to use the next day or freeze up to three months.
- Preheat the oven to 500 F.
- Place the pizza stone into the oven so that it heats up too. Use the baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone. Although the pizza stone is the secret to a really crispy crust. Line the working surface with a piece of parchment paper. Spread the dough using your hands on top of the parchment paper. This way, it’s easier to transfer the pizza right to the pizza stone. Spread the pizza sauce over the crust, leaving it off the edges. Top with toppings and cover with cheese and fennel.
- Transfer the pizza with the parchment paper to a thin, large wooden cutting board or a pizza peel, using the edge of the parchment paper to move it over. Then, use the edge of the parchment paper to move the pizza over to the heated pizza stone.
- Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden and crisp.
Wow, this pizza looks fantastic!! I don’t eat pork so I usually opt for ground beef or chicken on a pizza, so this is right up my alley. Love your “killer sauce” too – I’ve read that anchovies are a great addition to tomato sauce, so maybe I’ll go ahead and try that next time for my homemade sauce.
Thanks Taylor! I hope you love it! 🙂
I sneak anchovies into a lot of sauces- never tell my kids that tho! Lovely photos.
Thanks Ceecee! I know, you can never taste them, but they definitely contribute into depth of flavor, it’s wonderful 🙂
Anchovies in the sauce — a recipe after my own heart! I haven’t ever made my own dough before, so thank you for the inspiration. I’m starving just looking at this pizza!
Thanks Alanna, I hope you give it a try soon! 🙂
I got lots of compliments on this pizza! Best pizza that I have ever made and tasted!
Sauce is simmering away, crust is rising, family on the way. I will let you know their verdict, especially as none of us can stand fish. I was pleasantly surprised and the meaty umami aroma of the anchovies when I opened them. I only added 2, just in case.