DIY Pizza Date Night

Pizza night is a great way to have an easy & fun date night at home!

INGREDIENTS

• For the pizza crust:
• DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit
• water
• optional: olive oil + flaky sea salt
• Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza with Banana Peppers
• DeLallo Pizzeria-Style Pizza Sauce
• Cheese (mozzarella + provolone)
• DeLallo Mini Pepperoni, thinly sliced
• Spicy Italian sausage, removed from the casing & crumbled into small pieces
• DeLallo Hot Banana Pepper Rings
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• DeLallo Modenacrem Balsamic Glaze
• Vegetarian Pesto Pizza with Mushrooms, Artichokes & Olives
• DeLallo Simply Pesto® Traditional Basil Sauce
• Cheese (mozzarella + provolone, + a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese)
• DeLallo Grilled Artichoke Hearts
• DeLallo Pitted Calamata Olives, halved
• A squeeze of lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. At least 1 hour prior to making your pizzas, prep the Pizza Dough Kit according to package instructions. We like to add an extra pinch of Kosher salt to help bring out the awesome flavor the crust even more. Set aside to proof. Once the dough has proofed, preheat the oven to 450˚F.
2. Once the pizza dough is puffy & has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Using a knife, bench scraper or pizza wheel, divide the dough into 4 pieces. Form each into a ball. Roll the dough balls into 10-inch rounds. (If you prefer a thicker crust, divide the dough into 2 pieces rather than 4).
3. Transfer each crust to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top as desired:
4. For Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza with Banana Peppers: Measure out the pizza sauce in a 1/4-cup measure. Pour the sauce onto the crust, using the back of the measuring cup to spread the sauce into an even, thin layer. Sprinkle a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes over the top, then add a couple of handfuls of cheese. Top with an even distribution of pepperoni, sausage & hot peppers.
5. For Vegetarian Pesto Pizza with Mushrooms, Artichokes & Olives: Add 2-3 tablespoons of pesto to the pizza crust, using the back of a spoon to spread it into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle a couple of handfuls of cheese over top. Top with an even distribution of thinly layered sliced mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives & goat cheese crumbles.
6. Place the baking sheets into the oven & bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown & the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven & allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing & serving. Enjoy.
7. RECIPE NOTES:
8. Our favorite pizza cheese is a blend of shredded mozzarella & provolone. It melts nicely (but doesn't get too stretchy & chewy) & has good flavor. You can also add other cheeses for flavor: goat cheese, feta, parmesan, asiago, etc.!
9. Pizza stone: If you have a pizza stone, definitely put it to use! Let it preheat along with your oven to make sure it's nice & hot once you transfered your pizza to it! Assemble your pizza on a semolina-dusted pizza peel. Once the oven is preheated, carefully slide the pizza right onto the stone. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted & the crust is golden brown.