How to Make the Perfect New York Pizza

If you’re looking to enjoy the best pizza possible, there’s no need to travel to New York City to find the perfect slice. In fact, you don’t even need to leave your home! Thanks to bakeries like Rocco’s Italian Bakery, it’s easy to bake the perfect pizza pie right in your own kitchen. Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you make delicious, authentic pizza just like the pros do in Manhattan!

Start with your dough

To create a New York pizza dough, mix together flour, salt and yeast. Let your mixture rest for an hour or so before proceeding to Step 2. While you’re waiting, make sure that you have all of your other ingredients ready: baking steel (or a preheated baking stone), cornmeal, and sauce (you can also make your own!).

Add some sauce

While it's possible to make a New York-style pizza without sauce, most people associate New York pizza with cheese and sauce, so in general, you want about a tablespoon of sauce on your dough.

Sprinkle some cheese

New York pizza, like most of its other types, is topped with cheese first. You'll want to put a generous layer on each piece before you top it with anything else. For classic NYC style, stick with low-moisture mozzarella for a stringy texture that holds up well when baked and is super melty and gooey once melted. If you want cheesier flavor without as much melt, try mild provolone or fontina. A sprinkling of grated Parmesan works well too if you want something a little more salty. Pile it all on so that your pie is evenly covered—you can't skimp on cheese when making New York style pizza!

Add some basil

While most vegetables should be added at varying stages of doneness, basil needs to be mixed in when it’s as green and fresh as possible. The longer you cook basil, the less flavorful it becomes—and if your recipe calls for something acidic (like tomatoes), over-cooking will leave you with a grayish brown mess. New York pizza purists say that fresh mozzarella should also go on right after that last pie goes into the oven—it should melt in under a minute. You can serve pizza immediately or let it sit until everyone’s hungry and ready. This is where I generally recommend eating something else while you wait; no one likes cold pizza!

Bake it off

Your pizza is ready when you can see that it’s puffed up slightly and a golden brown on top. If you have a wood-fired oven, use an oven mitt or thick towel to carefully pull out your pizza. Otherwise, use tongs or spatula if you have them. Place on your cooling rack, cut into slices and serve hot!

The 5 Steps to Make the Perfect New York Pizza

If you’re going to make pizza in New York, you’ve got to do it right! The last thing you want after walking around the city all day is a dull slice of cold pizza from one of the big chains. Instead, try making it yourself using this step-by-step guide to making the perfect New York Pizza. You’ll be amazed at how delicious homemade pizza can be!

Step 1: Get a pizza stone

A pizza stone absorbs moisture and heat which adds a nice, crispy texture to your pizza crust. An alternative to a traditional stone is to line your oven rack with unglazed quarry tiles. These absorb heat, create excellent air circulation, and are inexpensive and easy to find. Just be sure not to use tiles that have been treated with pesticides or coating because these may negatively affect your dough's rise and final crust color. Step 2: Keep it cool: If you have an air-conditioned kitchen or climate controlled restaurant, you'll be able to produce high quality New York pizza dough for less effort than if you're in a hot climate.

Step 2: Use a mixing bowl

New York pizza is all about thin crust, so you want your dough thin enough to bake quickly but not crack. To make sure you have it just right, use a mixing bowl for rolling and tossing dough—it's faster than other methods and ensures a perfectly thin crust every time. It also helps if you're using an electric hand mixer with a mixing bowl attachment since it keeps your hands from getting too messy while spreading and tossing. You can also use a rolling pin (or one of those cool new rotating glass pizza trays that make it look like you're making authentic Neapolitan pizza) but it takes up more space in your kitchen.

Step 3: Get some dough

If you’re serious about making New York-style pizza, you need to make your own dough. Using store-bought dough (no matter how fresh it is) is a cardinal sin in certain parts of New York and could be a deal breaker for pizza purists. But, it isn’t that hard! You need bread flour (not all-purpose), yeast, salt and water.

Step 4: Prepare the toppings

Toppings are everything in New York pizza. You want a nice mix of veggies and meats, and an even spread of hot peppers, salty olives, creamy mushroom slices or whatever other toppings you might love on your pazza. Remember that one thing keeps all New Yorkers coming back for more: spicy pizza! Sprinkle some red pepper flakes over each individual pizza; put them in a shaker with Parmesan cheese or include them with salt, oil and oregano in an olive oil dipping cup. Also try including crushed red pepper flakes alongside your garlic powder, salt and basil leaves to sprinkle on top before baking!

Step 5: Cook your pizza with love

Traditionalists would say that only a true pizza maker can cook a delicious and tasty pazza. As much as we all hate that saying, it does contain some truth. After all, if you’re dedicated to making great pizzas and your heart is in it, there’s no telling what you could accomplish with time. Love makes all dishes taste better. You don’t need to be an Italian-American pizzaiolo to make great pizzas either; anyone who loves food can do it! In fact, our recipe for homemade pizzas is so easy anyone can do it! Just be sure not to overcook them. Yuck!

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