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Home » Best Pizza Toppings for Homemade Pizza

Best Pizza Toppings for Homemade Pizza

Posted December 5, 2024
in Bread, Cook, Main Dish, Recipes

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Have you ever wondered what makes a homemade pizza great? Some may say the secret is in the sauce or a from-scratch crust, but the best pizza toppings should never be overlooked. Use this guide to choose the right toppings to take your pizza night to the next level. From classic combinations to new ideas, the possibilities are endless.

Homemade pizza cut up into squares on a cutting board.

Table of Contents

Why We Love Homemade Pizza

If you’ve followed us for long, you might have noticed that our family loves pizza. We work this classic flavor into dishes like pizza pepper poppers and lacto-fermented pizza beans, but nothing compares to a homemade pizza.

One trick we use to keep cooking from scratch easy is to keep fermented tomato sauce or carrot top pesto, chevre cheese, and our favorite sourdough pizza crust (or our no-knead artisan dough) on hand for a quick pizza night. These staples work as a great base to build on.

During the summer, the best pizza toppings tend to come straight from the garden, but in the winter, we can enjoy the ingredients we have preserved, such as freeze-dried tomatoes, canned chicken, dried herbs, and more.

Whatever your lifestyle or resources, we have found that pizza is so flexible and a great addition to keep in rotation in our meal planning on the homestead.

Homemade pizza being placed into the oven.

What Makes a Good Pizza

Making a great pizza is all about a few key elements that make a pizza stand out.

Quality of Ingredients – Quality pizza ingredients are a must for a good pizza. If your fresh produce is starting to go bad or your sauce and cheese are full of fillers, it will make a noticeable difference in the flavor.
Balance of Flavors – Balanced pizza flavors are key. You want a mix of sweet, salty, savory, and spicy.
Texture and Consistency – Do not overlook the importance of pizza texture and consistency. You want a crispy and chewy crust, just-right sauce, and non-soggy toppings.

Homemade pizza being sprinkled with homemade raw milk cheese.

Best Pizza Toppings

Whether you are in the mood for classic, unique, gourmet, or simple, use this chart for the best pizza topping ideas to please everyone.

Pizza Flavor	Sauce	Toppings	Optional Ingredients
Classic Cheese	Marinara or Pesto	Mozzarella	Provolone and Parmesan
Margherita Pizza	Marinara	Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella	Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt before baking.
Pepperoni Pizza	Marinara	Pepperoni and Mozzarella	Sprinkle with crushed red pepper before serving.
Chicken Pizza	Alfredo	Chicken, Mozzarella, and Spinach	Add mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, or fresh basil.
BBQ Pizza	BBQ	Chicken or Pulled Pork, Onions, and Mozzarella	Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil before serving.
Mexican Pizza	Taco	Taco Seasoned Ground Beef, Pork or Chicken, Refried Beans, Colby Jack Cheese, Tomatoes, Olives, and Green Onions	Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
Sausage and Mushroom	Marinara	Sausage, Mushrooms and Mozzarella	Try different types of mushrooms such as shitake or portobello.
Hawaiian	Marinara	Canadian Bacon, Pineapple, and Mozzarella	Green Bell Pepper
Meat Pizza	Marinara	Sausage, Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon or Ham, and Ground Beef	Add onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, and olives to make it a supreme pizza variety.
Veggie Pizza	Marinara, Pesto, Alfredo, or Olive Oil.	Mozzarella and a Mix of Fresh Vegetables from the Garden: Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Onions, Spinach, Basil, Kale, Zucchini, Etc.	Add other vegetarian ingredients such as mushrooms, olives, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes.
Goat Cheese & Artichoke Hearts	Olive Oil, Rosemary, and Garlic	Goat Cheese and Artichoke Hearts	Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Chicken
Prosciutto and Fresh Arugula	Olive Oil and Garlic	Prosciutto, and Mozzarella topped with Fresh Arugula before serving.	Drizzle with a balsamic reduction right before serving.
Fig and Balsamic	Olive Oil, Rosemary, and Garlic	Figs, Gorgonzola or Bleu Cheese, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto topped with Fresh Arugula and a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar before serving.	Caramelized Balsamic Onions
Pesto	Pesto	Pesto and Mozzarella Cheese.	Add a pop of flavor and color with sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red bell pepper. Add chicken or sausage for protein.

A young girl adding ingredients for pizza dough into a mixer.

Pizza dough being mixed in a Bosch mixer.

Tips for the Best Pizza Crust

In addition to choosing the best pizza toppings, attention should be directed towards making the perfect pizza crust. Here are some tips to consider for achieving the best homemade pizza crust:

Choose the Right Flour – Use high-protein flour like bread flour for a chewy crust that holds toppings well.
Kneading – When making homemade pizza dough, focus on kneading. Knead just enough to develop the gluten, but not too much, as it will make the dough tough. Homesteading Hack: Use what bakers call the “windowpane test.” Stretch a portion of dough in your hands. If the gluten is properly developed, it can be stretched so thin that it’s translucent.
Sourdough – Nothing beats the subtle tanginess of sourdough (in our opinion). Check out our sourdough pizza crust recipe for pizza night… we think it’s pretty top-notch.
Use No-Knead Dough – If you are new to baking or don’t yet have a sourdough starter, try this no-knead dough recipe. It relies on rest times instead of kneading to develop the gluten.
Bake at High Heat – High heat makes the crust crispy on the outside and soft inside.

Ingredients being poured into a Bosch mixer.

Supplies Needed

Pizza Pan -You can use a cookie sheet, a cast iron pan, or an inverted baking sheet.
Sharp Knife – Practice knife sharpening basics to keep these important kitchen tools in good working order.
Cutting Board – Save those countertops!
Rolling Pin – If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can hand-toss your pizza crust to the desired shape.

Ingredients and tools needed to make homemade pizza.

Ingredients Needed

Pizza Dough – Find our sourdough pizza crust recipe here.
Sauce – Depending on your toppings, you can choose from classic marinara, pesto, alfredo, or simply brush with garlic-infused olive oil.
Pizza Toppings – Choose from one of the best pizza toppings mentioned above, or get creative and use whatever you have on hand.

Homemade pizza dough being rolled out with a rolling pin.

How to Make Homemade Pizza

Follow the instructions in this post for making the best sourdough pizza crust.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Roll out pizza dough and prick with a fork.
Cook for 8 minutes at 350°F.
Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 475°F.
Brush the pizza crust with olive oil and pizza sauce.
Add grated cheese and your favorite toppings (see list of ideas in the post above).
Cook at 425°F until bubbly and slightly brown.
Remove pizza from oven, add any desired additional toppings, cut into slices, and serve.

Homemade pizza crust being brushed with marinara sauce.

Homemade pizza being topped with shredded cheese.

Did you make homemade pizza? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily and show us what you think makes the best pizza toppings!