Bring the pizza party home with Le Creuset. Whether it’s a casual hangout with friends, a family get-together or a celebration of any sort, pizza has a way of bringing people together. With the right recipes, a simple prep list and quality cookware, it’s never been easier to produce restaurant-quality pizza at home. Learn how to make homemade pizza, with a perfect slice for everyone.
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Easy Pizza Prep Work
In its most basic form, pizza is simply three ingredients: dough, sauce and toppings. Simple recipes require that each element needs to be top-notch, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be difficult to prepare. To kick off our party, we asked Dan Pelosi to share his favorite ways to make pizza at home. His Easy Pizza Dough and Easy Pizza Sauce can be made up to three days ahead of time, whereas toppings can be quickly chopped and cooked the day of the party.
There are no rules when it comes to toppings; cheese, veggies, fruits, meats and herbs are all options. But make sure that all the toppings are ready-to-eat before cooking the pizza because the quick stint in the oven means there isn’t enough time to thoroughly cook toppings like bacon, winter squash or sausage. And remember to practice restraint when topping each pizza – no one likes a soggy pizza weighed down by too many toppings. About 1/2 to 1 cup of toppings is enough for each 12-inch pizza.
Choose your Cooking Method
When it comes to cooking pizza at home, there are several methods to choose from, each offering its unique advantages and flavor profiles. For Neapolitan-style pizzas, the stoneware Le Creuset Pizza Stone is the best way to achieve the chewy, charred crust that defines this iconic pie. The even heat retention and fast cook time of the Pizza Stone can accommodate a thin crust pizza of up to 15 inches – from New York to California-style. Alternatively, take the party outdoors with the Alpine Outdoor Collection Pizza Pan. Grilling thin crust pizzas adds a smoky flavor and creates a crispy, charred crust that's hard to resist.
For a fluffy ‘grandma-style’ pie or an elevated deep-dish pizza, an enameled cast iron pan with extra depth like the Signature Everyday Pan or the base of our Bread Oven produces a soft, pillowy crust. For a crust somewhere in the middle, Sheet Pan pizzas are a large-format way to cook a lot of pizza at once, with plenty of room on the pan for different combinations of toppings. No matter the method, your pizza party is sure to be a hit with Le Creuset.
Planning a Pizza Party for a Crowd
If you’re hosting a crowd and not sure how many pizzas to make, use the 3/8 rule. Assume each guest will eat three pieces of pizza and each pizza has 8 slices. So, simply multiply the number of people attending by 3/8. For example, 16 people attending means 16 x 3/8 = 48/8 which is 6 pizzas. Leftover pizza never goes to waste, so if you end up with a fraction of a pizza needed, round up the number of pies.
For each pizza, you need 1 batch of the Easy Pizza Dough, 1 cup of the Easy Pizza Sauce, 1 cup of your cheese of choice and a variety of prepared toppings. The fun of a pizza party at home is customizing the pizzas for all to enjoy with a variety of topping options. We recommend having the toppings for at least 3 distinct types of pizzas, with the option to mix and match to accommodate allergies, restrictions and preferences. We suggest starting with these favorite pizza shop recipes from Dan Pelosi:
Supreme Pizza
An update on a favorite from childhood pizza parties with crumbled pork sausage, fresh bell peppers, mushrooms, onion and diced black olives.
Get the Recipe
Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey
Classic pepperoni pizza never goes out of style. Perfect for keeping the kids at the party happy while the optional Hot Honey drizzle elevates it to an adult favorite as well.
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Ham and Pineapple Hawaiian Pizza
With the sweet & savory combination of ham and pineapple, this polarizing pie remains one of the most popular on restaurant menus for a good reason – it’s delicious.
Get the RecipePizza Party Tips from our Kitchen
- Prep the dough – To give the dough time to rise, start making it a few hours before cooking or up to three days. If making the dough ahead of time, make sure to remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so that it can come to room temperature.
- Make the sauce– Each 12-inch pizza needs 1 cup of sauce so plan accordingly. Dan Pelosi’s Easy Pizza Sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge so you can make a large batch and have it ready for pizza any night of the week.
- Prep the toppings – Most pizza recipes take less than 12 minutes to finish, so pre-cook any toppings, like caramelized onions, hearty root vegetables or raw meats that won’t have time to finish it that time frame.
- Choose your cooking surface – Have your Pizza Stone, Signature Everyday Pan, Sheet Pan or Alpine Outdoor Collection Pizza Pan clean and ready to go.
- Preheat the stone or pan – For the best results, the pan or stone needs to be evenly heated so the crust cooks quickly and evenly. Simply preheat the pan or stone at the same time that you are preheating the oven or grill. The exception to this rule is sheet pan pizzas, as the pan isn’t preheated, just the oven.
- Add sauce and cheese with restraint – Pizza isn’t in the oven long enough to evaporate excess moisture so a little goes a long way.
- Garnish before serving - Add fresh herbs or greens at the end so that they don’t wilt. And it’s best to add that drizzle of balsamic glaze or hot honey right before serving for maximum flavor.
