He was six. I didn’t know six-year-olds could be embarrassed by pizza, but here we were. Mason had seen something at his friend Carter’s house—Carter’s dad made pizza from scratch, dough and all. Mason came home and announced, with the gravity of a presidential address, that our family needed to start making “real pizza.”
So we tried it. The first time was a disaster—the dough stuck to the counter, the sauce was too thin, and Mason ate half the mozzarella before it made it onto a single pizza. But Wyatt, who was ten at the time, looked at the misshapen, slightly burnt thing that came out of the oven and said, “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had.” He meant it. That boy finds joy in the attempt itself.
That was two years ago. Now it’s tradition. Every Friday night, the kitchen turns into a pizzeria. Everyone makes their own. Wyatt handles the dough—he’s the official stretcher and takes it very seriously. Clara does the sauce, spreading it in careful, even circles. Mason handles the cheese, which mostly means eating handfuls of mozzarella while sprinkling some on the pizza. Jake, when he’s home, mans the oven and does the heavy lifting.
The kitchen is loud on pizza night. Louder than any other night. There’s flour on the floor and sauce on Mason’s chin before we’ve even started, and Duke positions himself right under Mason’s feet because the boy drops more food than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s messy and chaotic and it’s my favorite night of the week.
How to Make Friday Night Pizza
Start with the dough. Warm water, a packet of yeast, a pinch of sugar, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it’s foamy. Then add flour, olive oil, and salt. Knead for about 8 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic—Wyatt says it should feel like a stress ball. Let it rise in a covered bowl for at least an hour. This makes enough dough for 2-3 pizzas depending on how thin you stretch them.
Make the sauce while the dough rises. A can of crushed tomatoes, a couple cloves of garlic, dried oregano, a pinch of sugar, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. That’s it. No need to cook it longer—it’ll finish in the oven. Clara prefers to blend it smooth; Wyatt likes it chunky. We make both.
Shape and top. Punch down the dough, divide it up, and stretch each piece on a floured surface or directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Don’t stress about making it perfectly round—ours never are. Spread the sauce, add mozzarella (whatever Mason hasn’t eaten), and let everyone add their own toppings.
Bake hot and fast. Crank your oven as high as it goes—500°F if it’ll do it—and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown in spots. If you have a pizza stone, even better. Let it rest for just a couple minutes before cutting. Friday night is served.
Wyatt's Friday Pizza Night
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 packet active dry yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water about 110°F
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 15 oz
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar Nana Ruth's trick
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture, whole milk
- pepperoni slices
- toppings of choice bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, sausage, onions, jalapeños
Instructions
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Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir gently and let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy.
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Add flour, salt, and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy ball forms. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 5 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
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Shape into a ball, place in the bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. Cover with a towel and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
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While dough rises, make the sauce: heat olive oil, cook garlic 30 seconds, add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15-20 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 475°F with a baking sheet or pizza stone inside.
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Punch down dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll or stretch each into an 8-10 inch circle on parchment paper.
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Spread 3-4 tablespoons sauce on each, leaving a half-inch border. Add cheese and toppings.
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Slide pizza on parchment onto hot baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly with brown spots.
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Let cool 2-3 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.
Common Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Nana Ruth’s Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
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- Maggie’s Loaded Potato Soup (The $8 Dinner That Feeds the Whole Family)
- Simple Roast Chicken (The Sunday Dinner That Started Everything)
What I Use for This Recipe
A couple things from my kitchen that make this one easier.
Friday pizza night got a serious upgrade. The crust actually crisps now.
Good sheet pans that never warp in the oven. Years of cookies and sheet pan dinners.
Smooth gravy, lump-free batter, hot cocoa that is actually mixed. Small tool, big difference.
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