Having lived in both New York City and Chicago, it’s hard to pick a favorite type of pizza — I love a good slice of thin-crust pizza from Rubirosa, but also appreciate a lovely slice of deep dish pie from Giordano’s. Warm, cheesy, herby carbs are good in most forms. While we were stuck inside for most of the early part of quarantine, Jacques and I started experimenting with making our own pizza, using the King Arthur Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza recipe as a starting point. The dough has to be prepped a day ahead of baking, but the wait is well worth it for what is a perfectly pillowy, soft interior, with a crispy, slightly crunchy exterior. Our very first pizza was pretty basic, with just mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil; and since then, we’ve experimented with adding grilled peppers, onions, pepperoni, herbs, and other hard cheeses. It’s quickly become the perfect go-to meal — before our long weekend runs, or just anytime we’re craving some good ol’ comfort food.

Making pizza ourselves has given me a new appreciation for what goes into making a good pizza (patience, good quality ingredients, a lot of love), and a deeper appreciation for taking the time to perfect a process. Everything from kneading the pizza dough and waiting patiently for the rise, to coating the cast iron pan with the right amount of olive oil and setting your oven time just right, makes a huge difference in the end product. You can see the changes from your first pizza, to your second, to your third.

What I love about making pizza is not just learning the art of the process, but also getting to experiment with different toppings and flavor combinations — the trick is to think of ingredients that pair well and enhance the overall flavor of the pizza (i.e. basil and caramelized onions, or pepperoni and sweet red peppers), without overdoing it or crowding your pizza with two many toppings (often, simplicity is best!). We still love ordering out pizza from our favorite local pizza places, and especially when it’s a style of pizza we can’t replicate at home (i.e. brick-oven-made), but it’s nice to now have a trusty recipe we can turn to at home. Hope this inspires you all to try making your own pan pizzas — they’re simple, delicious, and best homemade.

Happy September, happy cooking, and happy eating!

Ash