Homemade Pizza Success: My Second-Time Win with a Simple Trick

Making homemade pizza doesn’t always go smoothly the first time—trust me, I learned the hard way! But the second time around, I followed Anita’s parchment paper trick and finally pulled off a pizza that didn’t stick and tasted fantastic. Here’s exactly what worked (and what I’d do again) to turn my pizza fail into a pizza win.

Here's how to make this tasty pizza using this Super Easy Bread recipe for the crust.

Pizza ready to bake - no parchment paper is needed after pre-baking

After the shameful mess of having to painfully scrape my very first homemade pizza pie off the paddle, I almost gave up.

But the tantalizing tastes that I enjoyed pushed me to create this page - a testament to overcoming kitchen failures and persevering until I perfect this pie.

My dough may have stuck, but I'm not letting one frustrating flop stop me from baking pizzeria-quality pies at home.

I felt I had to make another one (such hardship there—not!)

This time I followed Anita's instructions! (Learn more about Anita and James' new hobby at the bottom of this post).

I used parchment paper and precooked the pizza crust for a few minutes first ON the paper ON the stone in the oven!

Pizza ready to bake - no parchment paper is needed after pre-baking

How to Use Parchment Paper for Easy Homemade Pizza Transfer

I put the parchment paper on the spatula, cut it down to size, and left about a one-inch overlap of paper all around. I placed the crust on it and shaped it so it wasn't hanging off the spatula/paddle!

I pricked the dough to stop bubbles from forming. I then put it in the oven and baked it for 3 minutes.

There's the dough, in the photo above, ready for the oven, sat on the parchment paper. The recipe for this easy-to-make dough is here.

After the pre-bake in the oven, I added my sauce, the cheese, and sautéed onions along with green, red, and yellow peppers, olives, and mushrooms.

Why Pre-Baking the Crust Made All the Difference

A slice of homemade pizza on a plateIs it me? Or do you see two olive eyes with a green tongue sticking out?

Here's a TIP. Pre-bake it for five minutes as my cheese ended up getting a little too brown for my liking because I was waiting for the crust to turn just the right shade of 'done'.

Into the oven it went for about 15 minutes—but see the TIP above about baking the crust first for probably five minutes.

I forgot to mention earlier—I've been using the oven at 450°F instead of 475°F. No real reason. To be honest, I was scared of burning the crust and having my toppings not get hot enough. Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!

It was just a case of turning down the heat to avoid scorching the crust - and baking it a little longer.

Best Toppings to Use on Homemade Pizza with Dehydrated Ingredients

Here's a quick list of perfect pizza toppings made from dehydrated veggies. Rehydrate them first so they don't soak up the tomato sauce as they rehydrate!

  • Sun-dried tomatoes - Slice up some sun-dried tomatoes that have been rehydrated in water or oil for a few hours. They add a sweet, intense tomato flavor.
  • Mushrooms - Use rehydrated dried mushrooms like shiitake, porcini, or morels for an earthy, umami boost. Or rehydrate and slice cremini or button mushrooms.
  • Caramelized onions - Cook down some rehydrated dehydrated onion slices for a sweet, jammy onion pizza topper.
  • Peppers - Red bell peppers or spicy chile peppers that are dehydrated simply need to be rehydrated and sliced.
  • Artichokes - Marinated and rehydrated artichoke hearts provide a soft texture.
  • Olives - Slice or whole rehydrated black or green olives make a briny, salty addition.
  • Spinach - Rehydrated dried spinach leaves; squeeze out excess moisture and scatter on top.
  • Bacon - Crumble up some crispy dehydrated bacon (or just plain cooked bacon) for bacony bites.
  • Sausage crumbles - Sprinkling on bits of rehydrated pre-cooked sausage brings tons of flavor.

I hope these toppings provide pizza inspiration. Make good use of your dehydrated ingredients! Let me know your favorites by using the form coming up!

What Are the Best Cheeses to Use on Homemade Pizza?

Here are some of the best types of cheese to use on pizza:

  • Mozzarella - The classic pizza cheese. Fresh mozzarella adds delicious stretchiness and flavor. Part-skim or whole-milk mozzarella are also excellent choices.
  • Provolone - A good melting cheese like provolone adds a sharp, tangy flavor. Provolone piccante is an aged variety with more bite.
  • Parmesan - Freshly grated parmesan adds a salty, nutty punch and crunch. Just sprinkle on top.
  • Fontina - This semi-soft Italian cheese becomes beautifully gooey when melted. It has a rich, earthy flavor.
  • Gorgonzola - The bold blue veining in this cheese makes a nice flavor contrast. Pairs well with sweet toppings!
  • Feta - Salty, crumbly feta cheese adds a tangy kick. Use it sprinkled lightly on top.
  • Ricotta - For white pizza, part-skim ricotta adds a creamy texture and mild flavor.
  • Cheddar - Sharp cheddar offers a familiar flavor.
  • Blends - Combinations like an Italian cheese blend can provide multiple flavors in one.

The possibilities are endless for creative, delicious pizza cheeses! Just be sure to use quality, whole milk varieties for the best melt-ability and taste.

Handmade Projects from Anita and James in Bonnie Scotland

Wooden cabinet with stained glass by James

I just wanted to add this! Anita and James live in Bonnie Scotland.

They also turned their hands to making lots of home-made goodies like coat hangers, and storage cabinets—some with stained-glass inserts—and they're beautiful!

All of their pieces are made with such loving care, it's a wonder they can bear to part with them.

Recently, Anita told me that James has changed course, and now modifies campers!

PS - The adjective "Bonnie" means beautiful or attractive in Scots language and has been used to refer to Scotland for centuries now.

FAQs About Making Homemade Pizza

What’s the best way to keep homemade pizza dough from sticking?

Using parchment paper under the crust and pre-baking it for a few minutes helps prevent sticking—and makes transferring it easier.

Can I use dehydrated toppings on pizza?

Absolutely! Just rehydrate dehydrated mushrooms, onions, peppers, or even bacon before adding them to your pizza so they don’t pull moisture from your sauce.

How long should I bake a homemade pizza?

Bake your pizza at 450°F for about 15 minutes, but pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes first to avoid burning the toppings.

What’s the best cheese for homemade pizza?

Mozzarella is the go-to, but blends of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, or fontina melt beautifully and taste delicious.

I hope this little pizza redemption story inspires you to give homemade pizza another shot if your first try didn’t go as planned. Follow Anita’s crust-saving tip, use some rehydrated toppings from your food stash, and you just might surprise yourself!

And if you want even more easy, pantry-friendly ideas, don’t forget to grab my free 5 Dried Food Recipes PDF download (below)—they're simple, satisfying, and (ahem) human-friendly.

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