On a whim last Friday, I threw one of my better parties. In this house, we celebrate Pizza Friday (going to get that put on a sign and stick it in my front yard, lemme know if you want to go in on one), and so when Friday hits, I definitely know what we are eating, but last week, butting up against the excitement of having friends over for pizza I was annoyed at the prospect of spending hundreds of dollars on delivery pizza.
While you might be thinking wow sounds like someone got paid by DiGiorno, please know that this is not sponcon and as it turns out nobody even likes DG so there.
A fan of making pizzas of all kinds at home (please read on for more of that), but a victim of poor planning, I had no time or desire to whip up enough dough and ingredients for twelve. Even ordering “shitty cheap pizza” (sorry Dominos), ends up being a small fortune with a crew like that. “I would rather buy FROZEN pizza than spend another $200 at Dominos” I muttered to myself before realizing I actually had just solved all my problems.
I tossed the idea out to those joining (after all, in this new kitchen of mine— would it be extremely disappointing to be served Totinos?) but everyone was in. I took some preliminary surveys around brand loyalty, what to steer clear of (sorry Home Run Inn, you got booted) and what was considered an essential brand to add to the pile. Off to Kroger we went.
We picked out all kinds of pizzas, had one quick encounter with some axe-bombing middle schoolers in the ice cream aisle, and tossed in two bagged salads and a case of High Life to top off. All told, it was ~$100 to feed 12 people. Follow me for more grocery bargains!*
All this to say, it reinforced that no matter the pizza brand, the number of ovens you have, the skillset to logistically cook over 10 frozen pizzas within about 30 min of each other, or how much you definitely THOUGHT people would eat the salads— pizza on Friday is the way to go, no matter what.
The delivery options around here aren’t bad and by the time Friday afternoon rolls around I am often looking for someone else to bring me pizza instead of me making it. I like Amore Pizza here in town, and sometimes we ring the king. If we go out for pizza, I’ll go all the way to King Dough for a nduja-topped pie and glass of chilled red. Napolese never fails to impress and I love Convivio’s Neopolitan-style pizza too. But I’m not here to recommend pizza restaurants. You know what you like. Besides on a Friday? Stay in. Have a beer. Invite some friends over. Make a pizza.
If I’m thinking ahead and have the forethought to toss 4 ingredients together on Thursday night, you’ll get the easiest, best overnight no-knead pizza dough you could ask for. Crank your oven as high as it can go (seriously), put a baking stone/steel on the rack (if you have one) and let it preheat for an hour or more. You can take any leftovers from the week or half blocks of cheese, salad dressing, whatever you can find and put it on top. It will probably NOT be bad.
A cast iron pizza is also a great option, using the same no-knead dough or any store-bought option works great here. Thick and fluffy, the cast iron pan solves the need for a pizza stone, but be careful when handling, I’ve burnt myself more than once grabbing the handle of a cast iron pan.
Another favorite is Pizza Bianca recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. An old standby in our house, it’s baked in an olive oil-coated sheetpan and the result is a thick, focaccia-esque dough with a crisped bottom. I like to let it parbake for 5 or so minutes, then pull it out, top it with sauce, pre-cooked sausage, and shredded fontina and popped back in until everything is brown and bubbly. Mamma mia.
The ultimate pan pizza to make at home, however, has to be Detroit Style. The dough is made in a food processor 2 hours before you want to make it (which is a big convenience in pizza-at-home), and while you can bake it in any 9x13 pan, it’s worth the splurge to get the real deal. Traditional brick cheese can be hard to find locally, so I swap it out for Butterkäse, which gives the same buttery flavor when it melts into the side of the pan and crisps up. Get some thick sliced pepperoni that will curl up into a little crispy cup and get ready to wish you made another round of dough.
If I’m really throwing a party (and planning days ahead), I bust out the Ooni Pizza oven.
A peak example of Chris and I working together is when we are manning the pizza oven. More often than not (but not in the pic above, obviously), we always throw a pizza party of this type in the dead of winter, which means we stay warm by the 900F oven, quite literally slinging pizza in 90 second intervals bringing hot pies into the house to feed friends. There’s nothing better.
As for salads? I am firmly in the camp that believes a salad is required alongside pizza. There’s probably a whole other 1000-word essay in me (bet ya can’t wait for that!) around my love for a cheap and somewhat poorly assembled pizza joint salad but just know that if you’re making it at home, Smitten Kitchen’s version of Nancy Silverton’s chopped salad is the reigning winner and has been for years. Nancy (and Deb) know what they’re doing. Not worth arguing.
Finally (finally!) make sure you are drinking well. Nothing goes better with a Friday night of pizza than a cold glass of Lambrusco. Not the sweet sparkling wine of your parent’s 80s heyday, no. The Lambrusco of today is dry, sparkling, and pairs perfectly with any sort of pizza.
Outside of Lambrusco, an ice-cold cheap beer (pass the high life) can’t be beat. I know some friends who crave a diet coke alongside a slice, and for longer than I care to admit, I was even known to enjoy a glass of MILK with pizza (a direct result of the Got Milk campaign of my childhood). Whatever you drink, make sure it’s cold and not too serious. Maybe skip the milk though.
All told, knowing every week that we have pizza headed our way on Friday is a comfort. Hazel even added it on her google calendar a year or so ago as a recurring event (bless her). Frozen, delivered, crafted, baked, slung or fried— Pizza Friday is a tradition in this house. Join us why don’t you?
*do not follow me