Homemade pizza: Recipe, tips and secrets for a successful evening

There are some dishes that have the power to bring everyone together, from the youngest to the oldest. Pizza is undoubtedly the undisputed champion of this category. Forget lukewarm deliveries and greasy boxes: nothing beats the smell of dough browning in your own kitchen, mingled with the aromas of oregano and warm tomatoes.

Hosting a pizza night at home is so much more than just preparing a meal. It's a fun and creative shared experience where everyone can get involved. But to make this a truly enjoyable and stress-free get-together, you need to go back to basics. You don't need to be a Neapolitan pizza chef to delight your loved ones; all you need are a few good ingredients and a little bit of love.

👑 The secrets to a successful Italian evening

Faced with the multitude of possible toppings, we often tend to want to overdo it: four cheeses, chorizo, mushrooms, peppers... at the risk of losing the balance of flavors. To start with a sure thing that everyone will love, nothing beats a classic Margherita pizza recipe . It's the gold standard of Italian cuisine: simple, effective, and incredibly delicious.

Legend has it that this pizza was created in 1889 in Naples in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy. Its ingredients (tomato, mozzarella, basil) weren't chosen at random: they represent the three colors of the Italian flag. Mastering this recipe means achieving the perfect balance between the acidity of the tomato, the creaminess of the cheese, and the herbaceous freshness of the basil. This is the foundation upon which you can then let your imagination run wild.

🥨 The dough: the heart of success

You can have the best tomatoes in the world, but if your dough is soggy or cardboard-like, you're in for a disappointment. Pizza dough should be crispy on the edges (the famous "corniche") and soft in the center. This is often where things go wrong when cooking at home: lack of time.

🍅 Simplicity above all

In cooking, less is often more. A common mistake is overloading the pizza. Too much tomato sauce? The crust will be soggy and won't cook through. Too much cheese? You'll end up with a greasy, heavy pizza. The key is to find the right balance.

Here are the pillars of a successful garnish:

• Tomato sauce: Avoid sauces that are too runny. Opt for a good quality tomato pulp, simply seasoned with a pinch of salt, oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread it with the back of a spoon, always leaving a border of about 2 cm.
• Cheese: Mozzarella is essential for its stretchy texture. Herta also offers culinary aids that perfectly complement their pasta, such as smoked bacon or diced ham for those who want to enrich their Margherita.
• The finishing touch: Fresh basil is always added after cooking. If you put it in the oven, it will turn black and lose its delicate aroma.

The advantage of using a quality pastry like Herta's is that it supports the filling well without tearing, allowing all the flavors to meld together during baking.

🔥 Mastering home cooking

Our home ovens don't reach 400°C like the wood-fired ovens in Neapolitan pizzerias, but we can get close with a few simple tricks. The first rule is to preheat your oven to its maximum temperature (often 240°C or 250°C) for at least 20 minutes.

If you're using a standard baking tray, place it on the lowest rack of the oven so the dough sears immediately upon contact with the heat. The chef's tip? Only take your Herta pizza dough out of the refrigerator at the very last minute. The fact that it's thoroughly chilled when it comes into contact with the intense heat of the oven will create a thermal shock that's beneficial for a crispy crust.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions