Homemade Pizza Night (Easy Dough & Simple Tomato Sauce)
Intro
Pizza night is a regular thing in our house.
After trying dozens of dough recipes over the years, this one became our go-to because it’s simple, reliable, and turns out great every time.
The sauce is even easier — just tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil blended together for a bright, fresh flavor.
If you're looking for a homemade pizza that doesn't require fancy equipment, this is the one we make week after week.
Why This Recipe Works
Cold-fermented dough = better flavor. Letting the dough rest overnight in the fridge develops deeper flavor and better texture without extra work.
A simple no-cook sauce keeps things bright. Blending good canned tomatoes with a little salt and olive oil keeps the sauce fresh and prevents it from overpowering the pizza.
High heat makes the crust shine. Baking at the hottest temperature your oven allows helps the crust puff, brown, and get those classic pizza bubbles.
Balanced toppings cook more evenly. Keeping toppings light ensures the crust stays crisp and the cheese melts perfectly instead of steaming the pizza.
Dad Tip
Let everyone build their own pizza. Kids are way more excited to eat something they helped make — even if the toppings get a little chaotic.
And, between us friends…
This dough is at its best if you let the second proof happen overnight in the fridge. The slow fermentation builds more flavor and makes the dough easier to stretch.
If you do this, pull the dough out about an hour before shaping so it can come back to room temperature.
Cold dough fights you. Relaxed dough behaves.
And if you want to nerd out for a second — letting the dough rest also gives the gluten time to relax, which is why the dough stretches more easily and doesn't snap back.
The Dough
For the dough, I use a slightly adapted version of the well-known Roberta’s pizza dough recipe originally published by the New York Times Cooking section.
You can find the original recipe here.
It’s a fantastic base recipe and works beautifully for homemade pizza night.
Simple Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
1 can whole peeled or diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
¾ teaspoon dried oregano (or fresh if you have it)
1–2 teaspoons salt, to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper (rainbow pepper if you have it)
pinch red pepper flakes
Low-moisture mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Prep the sauce
Add everything to a food processor or blender.
Pulse a few times until the sauce is mostly smooth but still has a little texture.
Taste and adjust salt if needed.
That’s it — no cooking required. The sauce cooks directly on the pizza in the oven.
Why Fire-Roasted Tomatoes?
Fire-roasted tomatoes add a subtle smoky flavor that makes the sauce taste like it simmered all day — even though it took about 30 seconds Prein the food processor.
Pizza Night Assembly
Preheat your oven as hot as it will go (usually 500–550°F).
Stretch your pizza dough into a round.
Spread a thin layer of sauce over the dough.
Add mozzarella and whatever toppings your family loves.
Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
💡 Kitchen Chemistry
Mixing 00 flour and all-purpose flour gives the best of both worlds.
00 flour is finely milled and produces a softer, stretchier dough.All-purpose flour has slightly more protein, which helps the dough hold structure.
The blend makes a dough that stretches easily but still crisps up nicely in the oven.
Another small trick in the sauce: a little sugar helps balance the tomatoes. Tomatoes naturally contain citric and malic acids, which give them their bright tang.
A small amount of sugar doesn’t remove that acidity chemically, but it balances how our taste buds perceive it, rounding out the flavor and letting the sweetness of the tomatoes come through.
